“We did the best we could do!”
- Annie Butterfield
I walked into a large high school gym and was blasted in the face by the pounding beat of huge speakers. At the same time a volcano of human body heat swept past my lips and rushed into my lungs. There were people everywhere!
We were all shuffling along in one huge mass. My wife was one step ahead of me as we were making our way to the bleachers when a rope was slipped between us and I was stopped dead in my tracks. The crowd behind me didn’t stop so I was pushed forward, stretching the rope to the end of its elasticity. I waited and watched the top of her head drift down the river of people until she disappeared in the sea of humanity.
The rope soon slithered away and I began moving forward again. I looked to my left, up and down the bleachers as I walked toward my hope of finding a seat. I saw my wife. She was seated. She was lucky. It appeared as if there were no empty spots anywhere. I waved and pressed on.
The procession soon slowed and I ventured up some steps with my eyes darting back and forth. Then I spotted some familiar faces and a blank space at their side. I smiled at my fortune and asked if I could sit. They were kind and offered me refuge. It was that refuge that made it possible for me to watch my daughter perform.
Her group ran out onto the floor. They completed their routine, hugged each other at the side of the floor, and squealed in delight. It was clear that they felt good about their performance. I watched four other groups follow one after the other. The result looked the same. But, I wasn’t the one judging.
There was a judging panel for that. I didn’t see them. I don’t know who they were. I’m unfamiliar with their methods and their rules, but I still knew they were there. And, so did everyone else because that’s why we were all there; to see which group would be judged to be the best. At least that’s what I thought until we were walking out of the gym on our way to the car.
As we walked, my daughter’s eyes sparkled as she said, “We did the best we could do! We hit all of our routines! I’m really proud of our performance!”
I watched her face. I could feel her excitement. I knew she was right. They performed better than I have ever seen them perform. This was the best of all possible results!
They had worked hard. They put everything they had into it. Their reward was that they knew they were the best they could be for that day and that competition. You and I can learn a lot from their example and experience.
Work hard every day. Put everything you have into reaching your goals and let your reward be the contentment that you’ve done the very best you could do. Then, smile. Feel the excitement you’ve earned and savor the feeling of being the best you could be for that one project or moment in time. Allow yourself to feel the peace that comes from doing the very best you could do; after all, in the end, feeling good about yourself is the most important judgment of all.
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