This week's Pep Talk: "Trying to Make a Difference"

I was aboard an airplane transporting myself, and others, toward Kansas City from Denver on a late January Saturday morning. I’m reading the OP-ED section of the day’s Denver Post and a well-written tribute to Sargent Shriver. Awarded the Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian award, in 1994, Shriver recently passed from Alzheimer’s at the age of 95. Shriver was a champion for life’s underdogs, including founding the Peace Corps and Special Olympics.

The writer of the tribute worked, as a speechwriter, for Shriver in the early 60’s and was, upon Shriver’s death, reflecting on the one-time vice presidential candidate’s life. The scribe recalled a principle that inspired Shriver’s work: “The cure is care. Caring for others is the practice of peace. Caring becomes as important as curing. Caring produces the cure, not the reverse.”

What really resonated was the “caring for others is the practice of peace.” While Shriver’s work was on a global scale in caring for others and promoting peace through programs like the Peace Corps, the truth in “caring for others is the practice of peace” could certainly apply to many areas of our lives – home, work and elsewhere.

But caring for others can sometimes be a tricky proposition. We can truly care, try our best to make a difference and still not succeed. I admire Shriver’s thoughts about “caring produces the cure, not the reverse” but also realize it doesn’t always work. Say, for instance, we have a loved one, or loved ones, we care deeply about; we can care deeply for their well being but really are powerless to change what ails them until they decide to take the courageous steps in becoming superior to their former selves.

But we can always care. An earlier story read on the flight toward my hometown chronicled a controversial recent Colorado state legislature decision. In an effort to hack away at a projected one billion dollar budget deficit, a committee within the Centennial State’s legislative body decided to eliminate a program providing funding for low-income kids to have breakfast at school. Many had decried the wisdom of terminating a program ensuring needy kids, at a cost of roughly 30 cents a meal, food in their bellies at breakfast. The thinking being a growling tummy does not foster a hunger for learning – sure makes sense to me.

“Caring for others is the practice of peace.” Well, as stated before, while not ensuring success with an endeavor, I believe it provides peace in our hearts to know we tried to make a difference. Trying to make a difference. It fueled the passion Sargent Shriver brought to life. It can do the same for us.