Footprints in the Sand

It sounded easy enough — but it wasn't. Eric Middleton was tired.

He just wanted to play golf one more time. His cancer wasn't going to get any better, and it would only become more difficult to play. Already, there was weakness in his hands and feet. So Eric and his father went out for what they both knew might be a rare chance to play together again.

Eric surprised everyone that day — making long shots over water with a skill his father didn't even know he had. The cancer — now deep inside his lymph nodes, its tumors squeezing his left lung — caused him pain, but it didn't dim his smile.

When his ball landed in a bunker, Eric waded in — leaving his footprints in the sand — and made a shot that looked almost impossible. The course was quiet, with no one else around. I wanted Eric's footprints to last forever.

But Eric did what courteous golfers do. He picked up a rake and slowly erased his footprints, one by one — preparing the place for those who would come after.