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 to 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 an 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 successes 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.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
very motivating story
dave
florida
Very touching…
Hello there, I found this site accidently and wow, what a pleasent supprise, my heart is warmed, my spirit lifted, and my desire to move forward strenghtened….I will visit you again….thank you …Lorna
I can really appreciate the Simple Truths as it
also reminds me of a passage in the Bible and it says : God made the simple or foolish things in the world to confound those who claim to be wise.
All complex inventions came by way of the very minute or simple begining as it could not have become.
This site is absolutely wonderful. I am a corporate trainer and in one of my leadership sessions I showed the Jonny the bagger clip and the 212 degree clip. Mac–I wish you could have seen the motivation on the employees faces. Afterwards, the supervisors and managers were emailing me and calling me about how the class had affected them all. Everyone was so positive. It really made a difference. How fantastic it is to really touch a life with something so simple as words.
God bless you and PLEASE keep up the great work!!