I've had some good friends in my day. Through it all they're there - good times, bad times, laughter and tears. You know the litany so I'll spare you the maudlin stuff for now. Having friends is a joy.
Today I want to pay homage to some pretty special friends.
They aren't the ones I call when I'm excited, or sad for that matter. They aren't the ones who call me up to chat about the triumphs and challenges of life.
These friends know more about challenges and triumphs than most of us ever will.
Sometimes when I'm getting the feeling that a project I've set for myself to do is beyond my abilities, and when I'm feeling as though it might not be worth the effort in the end, I find myself smiling at my own doubts, my own reluctance to push my envelope just that little bit more it will take to achieve what I set out to do.
See, there's something about having these friends - they're kind of contagious in their can-do, will-do way of living their lives, and the good humor, generosity, and kindness with which they do it.
In the face of extreme odds, how many of us would have the courage to not only keep putting forth our best efforts, not matter what, but go about it with a smile that touches everyone around them?
It's a gift, grace in the face of adversity.
Me, a relatively simple project can make me scowl (and maybe cuss) and even want to put it off to another day, or abandon it altogether. For the good of project-completion I often bless these friends of mine for the gift they share and teach so willingly.
While they may not be immediately at my side, they are always near my spirit; and even if I don't hear their words in my ears their unfailing message comes through my heart loud and clear.
"Try," they tell me. "Keep on trying; give it your best shot, no matter what!"
The warmth of their smiles, the unabashed delight in their eyes, the joy of being able to spend time with some of the most incredible people in the world - it's all a gift.
I have been given a rare opportunity to learn about courage, tenacity, loyalty, and generously-shared good humor from those who are best able to teach it.
They live it every day.
If more of us had their gumption the world would be immeasurably enriched!
These friends of mine, they never give up.
They never stop trying.
I don't know that I would be able to do what they do, not even for a short time - and they've been struggling for all of their lives to become the best they can be.
It's humbling to know them, to watch them day by day.
I'll never measure up; all I can do is try to Catch Up!
Their disabilities can mean that every step taken requires more effort on their part than it takes me to make twenty or more long strides, yet more often than not I find myself looking at these friends and realizing that they are far ahead of most of the rest of us in terms of persistently reaching out, stretching toward achievements, and pushing their own envelopes just that little bit more every day.
To say these friends of mine have my deepest admiration and respect doesn't come close to how I feel about them.
They tutor me, encourage me, challenge me, inspire me to not only become better than I am but to TRY, like them, to become the best me that I can be.
Disabled?
Maybe.
But not, I think, where it really counts.
Many of 'us' are more disabled than these our dear friends whom we too often minimize.
Which is the more disabled: the one who tries or the one who can't be bothered?
Which is the more disabled: the one who encourages others or the one who thwarts someone's dreams?
Which is the more disabled: the one who gives it their best shot or the one who settles for 'good enough'?
Which is the more disabled: the one who marvels at the beauty of the world or the one who can't even see it?
Ah, my friends, why do we not follow your lead and absorb your gumption?
It would do us all a world of good.
It's proud I am to have had the privilege of getting to know you.
When I'm dithering about whether or not I'll be able to do something, when I wonder if it's even worth trying, when the opposition is strong, when doubt and fear kick in, when something seems beyond my reach - it is to you I turn; it is your example that shows me the value of courage, tenacity, hope, and humor.
It is from you, my dear friends, that the example comes, and the wisdom.
'All you can do is the best you can do, right? Just TRY! And try again, and again, and again. You don't have to be the best of everyone; you just have to be the best you. How are you gonna feel if you don't even try?'
So ... what am I going to do?
Sit tight and be marginally okay with the way things are right now, or get off my backside and TRY?
Hmmm ... I reckon maybe I'll give it my best shot.
I was about to say: it's the least I can do to honor these friends of mine.
But you know what?
I don't want to do the least I can do.
These guys have never once in their lives done the least they can do. Every day of their lives they're doing the most they can do.
That's the example I want to follow, as best I can.
It's time to push my envelope.
No comments:
Post a Comment