Forward

There is a book I love, To Be a Runner, by Martin Dugard. In the book, he described one of his life mottos, Keep Pushing...Always. He wrote,

"It is a pursuit of that best possible version of ourselves, refusing to accept mediocrity, and waking up each day full of hope instead of fear. It’s having courage, taking a risk, staying focused on the important things in life. And it’s remembering that courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to press forward despite your fears" (152).

When I was a teenager, my family traveled to a family resort on a small lake in Bellaire, Michigan. The weeks spent in Bellaire were some of the best weeks of my teenage life. We spent time with the same families year after year and participated in a variety of water sports. We even ate dinner together. The resort was similar to summer camp, but this was for families. The resort had a long-standing tradition of allowing vacationers to swim back across the lake (1.5 miles). It was a daunting task. I was determined to do it, and a few of us jumped into the water, with youthful confidence, that we would make it. I remember my dad and mom (they were in a boat) asking if I wanted to stop. My mom told me later that she knew there was no way I would quit, and that was exactly what concerned her. Honestly, I already felt the fatigue, and I knew it was going to be difficult. However, to me, there was only one option, keep going. I alternated strokes every few minutes, steadily moving forward. The swim felt like an eternity. The shoreline never seemed to get closer. But, there was no way I would quit. I absolutely had to make it. Honestly, I can’t remember a whole lot about completing the swim. I was too tired to remember setting my feet on the sand. I do remember hearing people cheer, but I was so light-headed I could not walk straight. I had done it. This was probably 20 years ago, but it is still a vivid memory of a time I kept pushing myself.

Although it was just a swim, these kinds of life events show us the best version of ourselves despite all odds. It truly gives us the courage to get out of bed filled with hope and to know that we can handle more than we give ourselves credit for. It allows us to see that we can face tragedies, and we can keep putting one foot in front of the other. Martin Dugard went on to write,

“No matter how hard the pace or how high the hill, you will endure. Every struggle comes to an end if you just keep pushing forward” (94).


We press on.