A Lesson Learned

Fill in the blanks.

"I would never ever ever, not for all of the ____________ in the world, [do] _____________. Never."

What did you put in the blanks? Was it something really disgusting? Embarrassing? Demeaning?

I have filled in those blanks a thousand times. There are some things (that I won't write here, just in case you are eating) that I thought I wouldn't do for all of the money, vacations, and guitars in the world.

And yet I do them now - for free. They are jobs that I didn't think were going to be part of adulthood, and yet here they are. I do them because no matter how disgusting, embarrassing, or demeaning they are, someone needs to do them. And I do them with a smile because they make somebody else comfortable and content. It's worth it.

[I'm not talking about anything illegal. Jeez Louise! Get your head out of the gutter.]

I'm talking about taking care of someone. Parents can attest to this: when you take care of someone, you often get more than you bargained for.

For example, I've learned to have a strong stomach. I've learned to listen even while I'm sleeping. I've learned that it's not all about me. I've learned to go with the flow and to find happiness in microseconds and micro expressions. I've learned that I'm stronger than I ever gave myself credit for. I've learned that I have a lot of growing up to do, but that I'm capable of growing up.

I've learned all of this by doing things that "I would never do for all of the money in the world." Sometimes, we must put ourselves in an uncomfortable position, and - if we are lucky - we will learn some of life's most precious lessons.




When you give your heart, it may be broken. When you give your time, it may be wasted. When you give your ideas, they may be ignored. These are the risks we must take in order to grow.