THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE
Recently a friend went to a beautiful vacation resort. Towering mountains,
breathtaking scenery, and numerous trails for horseback riding and hiking.
He felt all set for a very special vacation, and as he went to bed his first
night there he felt excited.
Only to wake up the next morning to a driving rainstorm, that was certain to
not go away for quite a while!
"Oh well," Andy thought, "Might as well sleep a bit longer."
He went down to breakfast at 10 AM and sat by a window as he watched the
rain falling endlessly. Just as he was finishing his meal he saw a man in
the distance, slowly making his way towards the lodge. The man was walking
very slowly as he supported himself with two arm brace crutches.
Andy sat transfixed watching the man take one careful step after another,
slowly making his way over the slippery terrain.
After about ten minutes time the man finally made his way to the lodge, and
Andy jumped up to open the door and help him in.
"Good morning," Andy said, "How are you doing?"
"Best day of my life!" the man said with great enthusiasm, "How are you
doing?"
Andy felt himself at a loss for words. "Could be better," he said in a
hesitating voice, "But I'm doing OK."
What's the matter, don't you like the rain?" the man asked.
"The rain?" Andy said, "I was counting on going horseback riding today, so I
must say that the rain does not please me."
"I was counting on going horseback riding myself," the man said, "But
walking in the rain is just as good if not better!"
Andy stood there and watched as the man slowly made his way through the
lounge area.
"Wow," he thought, "This guy must know something I don't!"
Later in the day, as the rain continued to fall, Andy saw the man sitting in
the lobby and asked if he could have a seat nearby.
"Sure," the man said, "Happy to sit with you and have a chat."
And slowly the man's story unfolded.
Years ago he had been a champion equestrian, until one day he got thrown
from a horse and was badly injured. He was unconscious for more than a week,
and then he slipped in and out of consciousness for another week. Each time
he became aware of himself lying in bed he was not sure if he was indeed
still alive, or whether he was having the dream of a dead man. Whenever he
came to, he would lie there and listen for the voices of the staff and
doctors who always came by the moment they realized he had regained
consciousness.
"Every time I woke up and heard the staff," he said, "I was so happy to know
I was still alive! Every time I woke up I understood that to be alive at all
is truly a miracle!"
"And I have kept that sense of miracle with me through the last fifty seven
years. Every morning when I first start to stir, and realize I am still
alive, I am truly thankful. I realize that today could be the last day of my
life, and it can also be the best day of my life, if I make it so."
"You are still young," the man said to my sixty year old friend Andy, "Don't
let the hardships and challenges of life drain away your sense of enthusiasm
and wonder. Even the happiest of lives has many struggles along the way.
Every morning that you DO wake
up, rejoice in the fact that you are still alive, and be sure to assure
yourself, Today is the best day of my life!"
* * * * *
The story of this courageous man leads me back
to an important understanding I have had in the past:
What happens to me during the course of my life - the trials and
tribulations, the winning and the losing, is not what is most important.
What is most important is how I react to what happens. Do I take my
disabilities and convert them into a reason to be thankful, an occasion to
celebrate my life, like the man in the story? Or do I use my hardships as a
reason for feeling cheated, frustrated, or depressed? The choice is always
mine to make,
regardless of whether or not I am "happy" about what has occurred.
How about you? Do you have a disability or two that would serve you well to
be thankful for? If so, why wait any longer? Today can be the best day of
your life!
Submitted by: Charlie |
