One of my neighbors died this past week – he had a stroke 6 years ago and struggled valiantly to lead some semblance of a life since. We don’t get to choose the cards we’re dealt but are ultimately defined by how we play them. He was:
· Profoundly paralyzed,
· Barely able to speak or move,
· On dialysis multiple times per week.
· But with a constant smile and twinkle in his eyes
· And constantly proud of and boasting of all life had given him.
He was confined to a motorized wheelchair but would take himself around the block or to the local Smith’s. He was profoundly disabled but was always happy and ready with a smile and hello. I imagine he had lots of bad moments and days, but you wouldn’t know it by him: he figured whatever he had was far better than the alternative. This subject makes me recall John Kennedy’s book Profiles in Courage, but to me now, the real profiles in courage are defined by the unknown men and women who overcome adversity every day and go on to lead productive lives – quietly, unassumingly, and bravely. From them we must learn to remember that our deeds determine us as much as we determine our deeds. If you’re having a bad day, are confused by something you’re trying to do, or miffed that something didn’t go as you had hoped, stop, change your attitude, and then reapproach whatever it was you thought wasn’t good enough. Be thankful you have the opportunity to do that today.
Mary Ann Evans (1819 – 1880); known by her pen name George Eliot, she was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era
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