Its easy to find the bad stuff. We know it is true. You don't have to scroll or look far to find conflict, struggle and negativity. It's actually a little bit of work to find something that I believe to be essential to life. Service to others is essential. In the midst of all that is frustrating, I was recently given a few reminders of what that looks like in its best forms.
My first reminder was on the golf course in Anna. My daughter plays for West Frankfort and one of the girls in the group she played with seemed familiar. She was very polite and my daughter had a connection with her. It soon dawned on me that it was Marlee Smith. I hope you remember her story. She strived to continue her athletic career despite battling Leukemia. At that time last year she was in the thick of her struggle. Not only did she compete, she had the best spirit about her. I was happy my daughter met a special person. Not long after that she was noticed for her work to provide Christmas gifts to children with cancer. Fast forward to this trip to the golf course at Anna and she was still competing. She still had a great attitude and she was so physically healthy, that I did not recognize her at first. Like I said, I was happy my kid met a special person and got to play with a heck of a golfer.
I've known Mike Tyson for a long time. Not the boxer by the way. I would say that we have talked quite a few hours about softball over the years, but I was taken by surprise to learn his story recently. To kick of National Recovery Month he shared his personal story of struggle and his road to helping others. He has started a non-profit called Take Action Today to help others struggling with recovery from their destructive vices. I am proud to know this man. He is a great example of how purpose can be found from pain. I can't wait to see what is down the road for him in this journey.
While scanning through Disney Plus looking for something new, I stumbled across a show called Marvel's Hero Project. I watched the episode about Jahkil. An eleven year old boy that felt moved to help the homeless in Chicago. He started out making "Blessing Bags" to hand out full of essential items like socks and toiletries. His initial goal was small by comparison to where he ended up. Last year he handed out 12,000 Blessing Bags. His non-profit, Project I Am, has made him a local hero. This did not go unnoticed and soon he was being Tweeted by Barack Obama and court side at NBA games. The premise of the show to find these special kids and honor them with their very own comic book drawn and written by Marvel artists. A very cool acknowledgement for any kid.
It's okay to be inspired by stories of service. We should all surround ourselves with people that are servants. If you can't find one, be one. Service to others is the rent we pay for our place on Earth (Ali's words, not mine). It is the best remedy for all the bad stuff thrown at us and you just might be motivated to find a way to serve on your own.
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