En-courage
I remember my first half marathon. About three miles from the finish line, my right knee gave out. I stumbled and tried to regain my balance. You see this race was important to me to finish, as I was running it in memorial of my brother James who had died of luekemia when he was two. I wanted to finish for him. For my mom. I grimaced as my previous swift pace slowed to a hobble and a then a limp.
Suddenly, I felt a gentle support under my right elbow. "You okay?" a tall woman with sunglasses and a tight ponytail asked. "My knee just went out on me," I said through clenched teeth.
"Do you want to finish?" she asked. "Yes!" I exclaimed.
"You can do it. I got you." she said, as she firmed her grip under my right elbow.
As we continued on, I learned that she had been behind me for most of the race; keeping me as her pacer - encouraged by my rhythm. When she saw me fumble, she knew something had happened and then saw my determination to keep moving.
What is most memorable to me is that she gave up her quest to have her 'best race time' to support me and encourage me to finish. Till this day, she holds a special place in my heart. A selfless stranger - one of hundreds of runners - that chose to slow down, take my elbow and lead me to the finish line. Truly remarkable.
Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people may forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
The prefix "en" means “to cause to be in” when added to the word "courage." When we encourage, we are causing someone to be more firmly within courage. A small word of encouragement can go a long way. A kind act can change someone's life.
Feeling helpless yourself? Aung San Suu Kyi put it simply "If you are feeling helpless, help someone." Encouragement works both ways.
Months after my race, I heard from my new friend. She wanted to check on how I was doing and thank me. Thank me? That was the most remarkable of all. She said that was the most meaningful race for her.
Encouragement works both ways.
Liz Glover Wilson
