CHALLENGES

A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner. - Anonymous

I just returned from taking my friend Jill to an appointment she had in South Jordan. Jill was thrown from her horse in November 2006 and has been a paraplegic since the accident. Before her accident she was very active and independent, in fact she had been pretty much a single mom for a year before this because her husband had been away on military assignment. She did all the housework, yard work and took care of their many farm animals. She also worked part-time outside the home to supplement their income while her husband was away (many times men and women who are deployed for the military take a cut in salary to do so). So, obviously she was no stranger to challenges. But after spending some time with her this afternoon, I can truly say that she KNOWS what challenges are! And I am really grateful to have been able to spend the afternoon helping her out because, not only did I feel like I was actually doing something worthwhile, but, it was nice to be able to visit with her and just talk like friends. I admire her for many reasons, and she is honest about her situation, but doesn't complain. She was patient with me, even though I'm sure I was fumbling around and not doing things very well. Days like today really make me think about how incredibly adaptable we are as human beings, and how much we can really rise to the challenge, when the challenge arises. Best wishes to Jill and her family!