Note from Ro: I was cruising some old newsletters today, and I accidentally stumbled on this muse. I know I’ve published it before, but it struck me that it is very applicable to the world’s current struggles. It helped me to re-read it. I hope it will help you, too.
The Test
The test of a man is the fight he makes
The grit that he daily shows;
The way he stands on his feet and takes
Fate's numerous bumps and blows.
A coward can smile when there's naught to fear,
When nothing his progress bars,
But it takes a man to stand up and cheer
While some other fellow stares.
It isn't the victory after all,
But the fight that a brother makes,
The man, who, driven against the wall,
Still stands up erect and takes
The blows of fate with his head held high
Bleeding and bruised and pale,
He's the man who'll win in the by and by,
For he isn't afraid to fail.
It's the bumps you get and the jolts you get
And the shocks that your courage stands,
The hours of sorrow and vain regret,
The prize that escapes your hands,
That test your mettle and prove your worth.
It isn't the blows you deal,
But the blows you take on this good, old earth
That shows if your stuff is real.
- Anonymous
“Did you hear what happened?”
I had just arrived at the office and my friend, Pat, popped out of her office, her face washed with fear. Once I told her that I hadn't heard about anything unusual, she informed me that the World Trade Center Twin Towers had just been hit by airplanes.
It was September 11th and everything had changed in the world in an instant. That was readily apparent to us all, no matter how far removed we were from the actual situation in New York and Washington D.C. In fact, I remember sitting in a meeting that day feeling slightly anxious about the fact that it was being held in the tallest building in the county, despite the fact that nobody was flying anywhere anymore that day.
But, what I didn't know yet, was that September 11th would change the map of my own family's life.
My husband lost his job and found that in Utah, as a result of 9/11 and the dot.com crash, there had been a collapse in the demand for people with his particular skill set. Over time, it became apparent that he would not be able to find work that was equal to what he had formerly enjoyed, and so he had to settle for a position as a TSA security agent at the Salt Lake City airport, making less than half what he had previously earned.
Since that time, I have watched him dress in his uniform and leave our home to work endless graveyard shifts, because graveyards pay just a little bit better. I have known that he stands for hours at a time, his legs and hips aching with the strain of standing on an old hip injury. I have seen him deal with the frustration of working for a federal agency that is constantly shifting around, never quite sure of its direction. I have watched him face unreasonable policy adjustments. And, I have seen him try to rise above a thankless job, responding to the public with the kindness that is so innate to him.
“You know,” he said a couple of days ago, “I didn't realize how good I had it before.”
It is hard to watch someone you love deal with such things. And yet, I have been amazed at the level of courage that he is displaying, trying to do the very best he can under the circumstances. He is rising above the challenges that he faces every single day. And, what is even more, he is ever present in my own life, encouraging me to continue pushing through my own challenges and supporting me no matter what comes my way.
When I was a child, I was told the story of the Martin-Willie Handcart Pioneer Company. Because they were so anxious to leave for the west, they left a little later in the season than they should have. When they got to Wyoming, unseasonably early snowstorms hit them. Because they were traveling with handcarts rather than wagons and teams, they were overly exposed to the elements and many died under the harsh conditions.
The teacher who was recounting the story to our class told us how important it had been for the pioneers to keep walking. If they gave up and sat down in the deep snow, they froze to death. Even though I was fairly young, I was struck by how hard it must have been for them to continue walking in the deep snow and how much courage they had displayed in their adversity. I remember thinking, “I wonder if I would have kept going. Or, would I have sat down in the snow?”
I have thought about that story over the years, as I have faced trials of my own. I don't want to sit down in the snow, even though it would be so much easier for me to do so. It is important for me to summon the courage inside of me - the grit - the moxie – the drive - to somehow keep myself moving forward, no matter how many challenges keep rolling my way.
I must admit to you that it is hard, sometimes, to keep walking. The temptation to sit down in the snow and rest awhile is overwhelming. It is difficult to keep moving forward when you feel as if the blows are coming at you from every side and you wonder when they will stop – or if they will stop at all.
If you happen to be experiencing such a situation at the moment, just let me say that you are not alone in the fight. There are others like you – many, many others, including myself – that are in the world, getting up each day, wondering how they will manage to continue and, despite the pain and the suffering they know, they keep going. They keep moving and just the act of continuing speaks volumes about them and the hope and faith and courage they own. It is the trying that is meaningful.
To keep moving under such circumstances is heroic (and actually feels heroic, as it is so difficult), and I believe that it is those people who continue the fight, despite financial, social, physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges, that are to be admired.
Do you know what happened to the Martin-Willie Handcart Company? Word finally arrived in Salt Lake City of their terrible circumstances and a rescue party was immediately sent out to save them. They were discovered on the far side of a river and one young man, who was determined to save as many lives as possible, carried people over that river repeatedly. He ended up getting so sick that he died. He was a true hero.
The survivors of the Martin-Willie Handcart Company were strong people and their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren have derived much strength from their story of endurance. In fact, their story has provided inspiration for nearly anyone who has ever heard it. They could have so easily taken the easy way out and sat down in the snow, and yet they kept moving forward with hope and faith that they would arrive at their destination.
If you happen to know someone who is facing such challenges, reach out to them. Tell them that you are hoping for them, that you are praying for them, that you love them, and that you have faith in them. And, mean it. Do pray for them. Do love them. Do have faith in them. And, do support them in any way that you can.
You never know when it will be your turn to be hip deep in snow. You never know when you will wish for a rescue party to be sent for you.
Just please, whether a rescue party arrives or whether you have to keep going with just God by your side, don't sit down, okay? Keep moving. Just keep moving.
All the best to you and yours,
- Ro
Muse: To be absorbed in one's thoughts; engage in meditation. Not intended to solve the world's problems, another person's problems, or to cover topics completely. One does not have to agree with musings to enjoy them, just as one does not have to be the same as someone else to appreciate who they are.
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