Saturday, August 29, 2009

213.2 Moving Forward With Help

I've been watching TV, watching all the events surrounding the death of Ted Kennedy. As you may know, I lived in Massachusetts for about 35 years and even though I had never seen Ted Kennedy in person, there has been a connection between us. I haven't always agreed with his politics, but I really liked the man that emerged over the years.

What I heard this morning during the funeral service were stories about how he fell and then picked himself up and moved forward...not without pain, sadness, guilt, and humiliation, but he moved forward. He moved forward with the help of others.

This morning I was out walking and was enjoying the site and sound of about 10-12 cyclists riding in a pack, their bikes making that very special whrrr as they moved in tandem. All of a sudden, two of the cyclists collided and the sound was horrific. I turned to see what had happened. I slowed my pace and was about to walk across the street to see if there was any way I could be of help. Instead of my helping them, they helped me, as did the speeches of the funeral service. I saw the two cyclists get up, pick their bikes up and check themselves out to see how badly they were hurt. The other cyclists returned to help out. Yes, some damage had been done to their bodies, but with the help of others they were able to continue.

Why am I writing this? It seems to me that life is all about resilience - to not let a "bad fall" ruin your goals. I was especially touched by Ted Kennedy's son, Ted, Jr. His remarks about trying to get up an icy hill after losing his leg to cancer at age 12 were very touching. He talked about how his father assured him that he would help him get up that hill so they could sled down, even if it took all day. His father told him he knew he could do it.

Do you have someone in your life who will help you keep moving forward? If so, engage that person in your quest. If not, find someone you can be honest with and will assure you that you can do it. I have a couple people who continually encourage me to get up, to keep moving forward on this weight loss/life journey, and for that I am extremely grateful.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Loved your thoughts here...and I know you'll keep moving forward.

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