I received a message about my orthodontist appointment saying that it needed to be rescheduled because of a family emergency. I called to reschedule and they explained the issue. The doctor could not treat me because of a death in her family. Hearing this caught me by surprise. Still, I proceeded to let them know what time worked best for me for my rescheduled appointment.
It’s understandable that we moved the conversation along because we couldn’t do anything and it didn’t affect our lives as much, yet it’s strange. What were just words and a short, sudden feeling to me are life-changing and long-lasting feelings to another.
Think of it this way: when we’re driving and we stop at a traffic light, we might see a person on the corner asking for money because of their circumstances. If we give the person five dollars, it’s not a big deal for us. But to them, it could be the difference between having food or starving for the day.
Back in high school, I would spend most of my time on YouTube watching videos. I’d often read the comments of the videos and read about people’s situations. Some are living good lives and are grateful for what they have; others are enduring tough ones and contemplated suicide.
I recall one encounter where I conversed with an elderly lady. She told me about her aneurysms and that if one of them pops, she would die. That conversation was two years ago.
I met a lot of people throughout my life and they told me about their lives. There were a lot of things I wanted to tell them because I felt I could improve their situations. But I didn’t and only gave them a few words of encouragement. Perhaps all they needed at the time was someone to listen to them.
It’s as if we’re forced to acknowledge our limitations— what we can and can’t do. At what point should we stop helping others so that they can try helping themselves? When are we doing too little or too much for someone? How should we pick who to help? What about animals and the environment? Our resources are limited, yet our desires aren’t. There’s only so much a person, a community, an organization, and a nation can do. It’s a cruel joke.
But we must help when we can and provide support when we need to anyways. We must also live our lives virtuously for the sake of others. It’s true that there’s only so much we can do for others. But it’s also true that there’s so much we can do for ourselves. By living our lives to the utmost and setting an example for others in an inspiring way, we may inadvertently make the lives of others better. I have the opportunity to become the first person in my family to graduate from college. In other words, I have the opportunity to change my family’s legacy for the better. I can make education a viable option for the next generation. My decisions affect them in more ways than I imagine, and they’re carefully watching what I do.
A wise person once said, “give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
To know that a person’s life has improved because you have lived is worth pursuing.
TAKEAWAY: Continue living your life so that others can live theirs.
Here’s my inspiration for the day.