I remember how my father told in the church in Niš that St. Jovan wore sandals even in winter in Shanghai, and children gathered around him because he smelled like incense. That always touches me.
I too have heard of those sandals of his in the winter. How simply the man lived, and yet the children ran to him as if he were a magnet. These little things stick more than many words.
I read that and immediately remembered my grandfather's sandals that he wore even when it was freezing in the garden. It’s crazy how these little details, sandals in winter and the smell of incense, attract children more than any sermon. Thank you for this memory, it is very concrete.
I remember that my grandfather also wore sandals in the snow when he worked in the garden, so this story about St. Jovan in Shanghai immediately reminded of him. The children were really attracted to that smell of incense and its simplicity, it is more beautiful than any sermon. Thanks for sharing.
That picture of your grandfather in sandals in the snow really made me smile - a real Serbian grandfather, no problem. St. I guess Jovan also seemed like some uncle from the neighborhood to the children in Shanghai, so they clung to him without saying a word. Did your grandfather ever tell you why sandals in winter?
You said it well, Maria, that smell of incense and ordinariness really appeals more than words. My father also walked barefoot in the yard even when the snow was caught, so it immediately occurred to me how such people are somehow closer to the earth and the sky at the same time. Did your grandfather ever tell you what he felt while doing that?
Yes, these winter sandals are one of the first ones I have left too. I remember them saying that kids in San Francisco came to him because they felt he understood them without preaching to them. Where did you hear about this incident?
I also remember how my father worked in the vineyard in the same old sandals even when the morning frost caught. That simplicity really stays in the memory longer than any story. Did your grandfather ever tell you if it bothered him in the winter or if it was normal for him like in the summer?
Yes, these sandals are among the most characteristic. I remember they said he wore them in the snow in Chicago. How did you hear them for the first time, Maria?
It’s true, these details remain engraved. My husband also wore his old sandals to go chop wood even in minus five, and our grandchildren still talk about it today. Thanks for sharing this, Damien.
To me, with bare feet, it always seemed as if man did not want to separate himself from the earth that God had given. My grandfather didn't walk barefoot in the snow, but he always took off his shoes when he entered the garden and said that this way he could better feel what the plants were looking for. And the incense really does its job, it smells even when everything else is silent. Have you ever tried walking barefoot in the morning dew?
Yes, these sandals are legendary. I first heard about them from a grandfather in our parish who had lived in San Francisco and he said that the Saint wore them even when he went to the factories to talk to the workers. You, Pepi, where did you first read them?
I remember how my grandfather used to wear the same worn-out shoes in the garden in winter and summer, and he once told me that he only minded in winter if the snow was ankle deep. He didn't complain, he would just say "legs get used to it". And did your father ever change his sandals after a frost, or would he leave them on until spring?
My father did exactly that - he wore the same sandals from spring until the first real frosts, and only then would he put them in the attic. He once even patched the sole with wire because it came apart, and he said it was better than new shoes that "don't breathe." And did your grandfather ever wear socks with those shoes or did he walk barefoot in the snow?
Yes, I remember that factory story too, your grandfather was right. I read them for the first time in an old brochure of our parish here in Volos, years ago. Have you ever been to San Francisco?
That’s exactly it, these simple little habits impact children more than big speeches. My husband still put on his old holey sweater to prune the rose bushes in the parish garden, even in the middle of winter. Are your grandchildren trying to do the same now?
Yes, these little quirks really stay in place. My husband always kept his old cap on to weed the tomato patch, even when it was almost freezing. Have your grandchildren ended up adopting sandals for their own work outside?
My father did exactly that - he wore the same sandals from spring until the first real frosts, and only then would he put them in the attic. He once even patched the sole with wire because it came apart, and he said it was better than new shoes that "don't breathe." And did your grandfather ever wear socks with those shoes or did he walk barefoot in them and in the mud?
My father also used to wear a pair of sandals until the sole was completely worn out, then he would just tape them up. He never changed before the frost, and he only put on his socks when it got really cold. And did your grandfather ever try to patch them with leather from an old jacket?
Yes, habits die hard. My grandchildren wear sandals now for the garden, but only when it's not raining too much, otherwise they go back to boots like their grandfather. And did your husband end up giving up his cap one day?
