AUGUST 1992. Derrick Redmond from
Great Britain was favored to win the
400–meter race during the summer
Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. But as
he powered around the backstretch, his
hamstring snapped. Derrick tried desperately
to finish the race, but he still had half the
distance to go. Because he couldn’t walk, he
began to hop. One step — a grimace. Two
steps — a yell.
Jim Redmond had to get his struggling son. He
doesn’t remember all the steps down from Section
131, Row 22, Seat 25 of the Olympic Stadium.
He doesn’t really remember leaping over the railing
or pushing off security guards who were too
stunned to stop him. He was not just a spectator
at the Olympics anymore; Jim Redmond was a
father, and he had to get to his son.
“Dad,” Derrick said, “Dad ... Get me back to
lane five. I want to finish.”
And leaning on each other, father and son
made their way around the track as the
crowd, with the whole world watching, rose
to their feet cheering. Olympic organizers can
light the skies with fireworks, they can invite
kings and queens ... but this was the magic of
real life.
That day people saw an example of great
courage, but they witnessed and even greater
story about love.
Love, simply stated, is the essence of life. It
can put the smile on your face, the bounce in
your step, and, most importantly, the joy in
your heart. Even when your whole world is
crumbling around you, one person holding
your hand, looking into your eyes, saying “I
love you” is enough to get you through.
Love is to attitude as the rain is to flowers.
Surround yourself with people who love you
and whom you can love back. This, more
than anything else you can do, will provide
the music for your life and the fuel for your
soul.
Just recently a friend included a wonderful
poem by Robert Ward in her letter to me. I
hope you like it as much as I did.
I wish you the courage to be warm when
the world would prefer that you be cool.
I wish you success sufficient to your needs;
I wish you failure to temper that success.
I wish you joy in all your days; I wish you
sadness so that you may better measure
that joy.
I wish you gladness to overbalance grief.
I wish you humor and a twinkle in the eye.
I wish you glory and the strength to bear
its burdens.
I wish you sunshine on your path and
storms to season your journey.
I wish you peace in the world in which
you live and in the smallest corner of the
heart where truth is kept.
I wish you faith to help define your living
and your life.
More I cannot wish you, except perhaps
love, to make all the rest worthwhile.
Learn more about Mac Anderson, founder of
Successories and author of the Simple Truths book
series.
