Losing Everything.... and Surviving

My friend Dave lost everything. Not just his house, his job, his health, his family but everything.... well almost.

Dave was a medic in the United States Army, serving in combat twice. He had a nice life, a sweet wife and two young children.

On a beautiful summer day, picnicking with his family and friend, he took a dive into the clear lake breaking his back. Dave became paralyzed from the neck down. Soon after that eventful day, Dave lost his job, his home, his income, the use of his body, his dignity, his privacy, and even his pride. His wife could not handle the difficulty and left taking his two children with her.

Alone, really, really alone, Dave didn't have much to live for; he didn't see much of a reason to keep going. But keep going he did.

Since that day several years ago, Dave went back to school, getting a Master's degree in counseling. He became a leader on campus bringing encouragement to countless students and faculty. Today he is a brilliant therapist bringing goodness to this world in a very powerful way.

If you met Dave, you would be quickly impressed with his patience, care, concern for others. His ability to ignore the little daily challenges of life and believe me when I say EVERYTHING is a challenge for Dave.

One day, Dave and I were chatting in the library of his university, observing some students complaining about the typical things that irritate most of us... the cold weather, the rude clerk, the lack of parking. All of a sudden Dave and I were silent. We both knew what the other was thinking. We both vividly understood that those little things by which most of us get irritated, are insignificant to someone like Dave. He has overcome so much that those minor irritants don't even register on the scale of problems.

In this world, the little bothersome things we spend so much time worrying about just don't really matter.

In the scheme of life, why do we allow our energy to become negative at silliness? Why do we give our power and strength away to the minor inconveniences of life?

Dave has taught me many many life lessons over the years, among the greatest is the reminder that regardless of my struggles, I can write a check by myself, I can walk up stairs, I can drive a car, I can hug a child. I can get dressed, work in my garden, and eat without help.

Dave has also taught me that our gift to this world is to brighten it. It is to fill it with care, and to bring more love and peace to each other. It is to share who we are and our experiences to create a more holy world.

Dave has done exactly that.

Dave lost nearly everything.... but not everything.

He didn't lose the care, concern, and love he has for others.