Do you ever have those moments when you wonder?
If what you do really matters.
Do you ever have those moments when you question?
If there as any real meaning in anything you do.
Do you ever have those moments when you worry?
That life is not worth the work.
Do you ever have those moments when you see?
That the path is long and narrow and hard.
Do you ever have those moments when you realize?
That being all you can be is not enough.
Do you?
Cause I do.
Dave, you and your work are an inspiration to me and MANY others. Even though the path is narrow, and hard, and hard to even see sometimes, I hope you'll keep making your way. There are lots of us following you!
ReplyDeleteI think that we all have those days, when realistic thinking about ourselves just isn't accessible and it just seems pointless.
ReplyDeleteI can speak from experience that you do make a difference, and I know that I'm not the only one. You've given me specific help about a specific problem which will make a big difference in one child's life, but even more, you're working to make the world a better place for my kids and others like them. Believe me, that's a bit more important in the grand scheme of things than doing the same laundry over and over again (which seems to be my lot in life at the moment).
Go back through your blog and read the comments to see how you've affected people, and see if you can do anything to pamper yourself today. Tomorrow will most likely be better.
You are not alone. I think we all do.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it matters!
Dave, keep writing. That, in and of itself, is worth all the BS. You are a great writer. You practice your craft with skill and art. You influence more people than you can possibly know. And we all thank you.
ReplyDeleteI know I have those days. It may be part of what makes us human. I know you're not fishing for compliments but you do make a difference, every day.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do, too.
ReplyDeleteBut, then again, gray is part of our lives just as much as pink is, or white, or even, black is.
So, maybe, just maybe, that is the whole beauty of life.
it matters.
ReplyDeletei just read your post about the blind hockey skater tying up traffic.
this weekend, i was in a tie-up with things slowed to a crawl while three lanes merged into one. But the circumstances were quite different.
There had been an accident, only minutes before. The one trooper on the scene was directing traffic. There were car parts scattered all over the highway and an SUV on its side.
And in the middle lane, a body face down in sea of smashed glass and blood.
I haven't been able to get the image out of my head. It is such a graphic and powerful reminder of how fragile life is and how it can all be over in an instant.
When I started to read your Highway post, my heart sank. I thought, an accident story.
I was grateful it was not. I look forward to your message every day. You find humanity and grace in all types of situations. Your intolerance and ire at things that are not right or fair inspire me.
Feeling grey is okay. But know that you matter. You are my knight in a shining orange shirt. And I am thankful that you are here.
I do, but not that often.
ReplyDeleteDave, what you do really matters. It matters to my family in Niagara Falls, and especially to a little boy who just turned 7 yesterday. Your words have helped to empower this mom, and have helped me to expect the best for her son. I have had to make many difficult decisions over the past year, especially around schooling, and your words have helped me ensure that my boy would be valued.
Thank you for all you do.
Anjie (mom to Adam & his sisters)
I have the same thoughts a lot...however we don't really know on a day to day basis what will do doesn't usually go unnoticed..may seem like it to us in our understanding but even when we don't know it we are usually making a change in someones life, seems like if we knew everything maybe we wouldn't try so hard to do better. You make a difference in my life in many ways, Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt matters.....seek out the orange Dave!!!
ReplyDeleteI sure do have days like that. And on a summer day in Seattle when it's raining and 60, it's hard to see anything but gray.
ReplyDeleteBut we get through the gray days, especially by connecting with the people who care most about us.
Yup, have plenty of those days. My Dad's a very wise man, and I remember him teaching me very early in life that life is like a tapestry. Some days - most days, in fact, we only see the bottom. The underneath. The swirling mess of loose ends and knots, where the colours don't make any sense. But every now and then, we get to catch a glimpse of the topside. The beautiful mix of stitches and play of colours that make up a masterpiece. What we must remember, and herein lies the challenge, is that both sides are always there. One cannot exist without the other. They are equally important, and therefore, equally beautiful in their own way.
ReplyDeleteYou must continue, Dave. Even though at the moment you may be seeing a gray patch on the underside of the whole. But know that on the other side - the one that is temporarily hidden - there is beauty being formed and shared.
Yes, the last few days for me have been rough. That's why I haven't been around.
ReplyDeleteDear Dave:
ReplyDeleteIt matters - what you do and who you are. I could tell you lots of stories about how your books have affected my students. The one I think that best illustrates the ripples is this one:
I have my students read First Contact. We analyze the stories you tell about Patsy and Helen for evidence of empathy. That book, your words, always engages them. They often get friends and family to read it too. One student's mother worked with people who have developmental disabilities and she had someone new move to the home she worked in. I believe he was a man with quite significant disabilities. According to the student they tried lots of things to see what might interest this man but he didn't respond much. Then because they had read about Helen, they tried aromas - and that is what he responded to! It opened the door for them to begin to establish a relationship with this man - Dave, your words did that - and I imagine that it made a huge difference to this man.
You never know - you could never know - the difference you make in the world. You have made a difference for me.
Hope that the gray has lifted
Colleen
Thanks for the encouragement. An old friend of mine died after basically drinking herself to death. It has been hard on all her friends and family as she hid her problems from us all. It sometimes seem all so pointless but then, something very nice happens, like our local Special Olympic Bocce team won gold this weekend. I hang on to these small victories and keep going...
ReplyDeleteand on that path, notice the snap dragon that is growing & blooming thru a sm crack....hold the hand of a close friend, breathe slowly & deeply, have a sip of tea & hold onto the knowing that this feeling will pass.....the work that you do is hard and needs to be done with an open heart and sometimes the heart needs some protection & rest.
ReplyDelete