One Leg

I was driving home from Pickleball this morning, thinking about a million holiday tasks I needed to do.   While waiting for a red light, I saw a young man walking on the sidewalk.  The first thing that caught my attention was the smile on his face, he seemed so light and happy, but then I noticed his limp and saw some crutches and it dawned on me, this guy had only one leg.  His pants were rolled up where his second leg should have been as he moved quickly down the sidewalk.  

For whatever reason, he has stayed in my thoughts all day.  Not only did he leave me with a firm reminder to be grateful for what I have, but he also made me wonder more about who he was. Why was he smiling?  Where was he going?  How did he learn to move so fast with just one leg?  I was inspired by him.  I knew I could find more than a few ways in my life where I could apply the strength of spirit I saw in him.  

As my day continued, I realized he was teaching me more. This young man, just by being himself, without him even knowing, had made an impact on me.  His challenges were obvious to a passerby, but he embraced it all with grace and strength.  His smile and hustle made it seem like he accepted himself fully, I saw that his imperfections didn’t slow him down at all. His simple act of walking down the road, with his one leg, made a difference in my life today.

When we figure out who we are, and just be who we are in the best way we can, despite our challenges and imperfections, we have the power to inspire others.  In fact, it may be that we are at our most powerful, most influential when we are truly being ourselves… our imperfect  and unfinished selves.  

I’m counting this as a little Christmas miracle today. It is a reminder of the power of being myself, and the strength I can find if I just keep walking.  I hope that each of you can find the strength to be yourselves and to show the anonymous others in the world, who you really are.  You will be a gift to us all.