I WISH YOU LOVE Article by: Mac Anderson

AUGUST 1992. Derrick Redmond from Great Britain was favored to win the 400–meter race during the summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. But as he powered around the backstretch, his hamstring snapped. Derrick tried desperately to finish the race, but he still had half the distance to go. Because he couldn’t walk, he began to hop. One step — a grimace. Two steps — a yell.

Jim Redmond had to get his struggling son. He doesn’t remember all the steps down from Section 131, Row 22, Seat 25 of the Olympic Stadium. He doesn’t really remember leaping over the railing or pushing off security guards who were too stunned to stop him. He was not just a spectator at the Olympics anymore; Jim Redmond was a father, and he had to get to his son.

“Dad,” Derrick said, “Dad … Get me back to lane five. I want to finish.”

And leaning on each other, father and son made their way around the track as the crowd, with the whole world watching, rose to their feet cheering. Olympic organizers can light the skies with fireworks, they can invite kings and queens … but this was the magic of real life.

That day people saw an example of great courage, but they witnessed and even greater story about love.

Love, simply stated, is the essence of life. It can put the smile on your face, the bounce in your step, and, most importantly, the joy in your heart. Even when your whole world is crumbling around you, one person holding your hand, looking into your eyes, saying “I love you” is enough to get you through.

Love is to attitude as the rain is to flowers. Surround yourself with people who love you and whom you can love back. This, more than anything else you can do, will provide the music for your life and the fuel for your soul.

Just recently a friend included a wonderful poem by Robert Ward in her letter to me. I hope you like it as much as I did.

I wish you the courage to be warm when
the world would prefer that you be cool.
I wish you success sufficient to your needs;
I wish you failure to temper that success.
I wish you joy in all your days; I wish you
sadness so that you may better measure
that joy.

I wish you gladness to overbalance grief.
I wish you humor and a twinkle in the eye.
I wish you glory and the strength to bear
its burdens.

I wish you sunshine on your path and
storms to season your journey.
I wish you peace in the world in which
you live and in the smallest corner of the
heart where truth is kept.
I wish you faith to help define your living
and your life.

More I cannot wish you, except perhaps
love, to make all the rest worthwhile.

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Learn more about Mac Anderson, founder of
Successories and author of the Simple Truths book
series.