BEING INSPIRED AND PASSING IT ON...
September 8, 1999
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Let me tell you a quick story and the moral I have for it.
I have been coaching girls softball for the last 12 years. This year was going to be my last.
After our final tournament in Iowa two of the team members (Elaina & Beth) asked if I could give them
a ride. The ride was 6 1/2 hours and the conversation turned out to be the greatest I have
ever had in the 47 years I have been living.
Elaina and I had been talking for about two hours when the discussion of people who have influenced her life came up. I asked Elaina to think hard and tell me who has been truly inspirational in her life of 17 years other than her parents.
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She told stories of 4 people who have inspired her
and how they did it. The next question I asked
that if she ever communicated to them in spoken or
written words on how they inspired her life. I
told her that it is a great reward to those people
if she would tell them.
Beth was sitting in the back seat and we thought
she was sleeping. The entire time she had been
listening to our conversation. She was crying the
entire time but, catching her breath, Beth spoke
up and told Elaina how much of a role model she
is to her and also shared with Elaina that there
are many underclass students that looked at her
as a role model.
Then Elaina turned to me with tears running down
her cheeks and with a noticeable crack in her
voice and said, "Ski, you can't imagine how much you
have inspired me in the 3 months I have known
you."
I looked at her with tears welling up in my
eyes and said "Elaina, thank you, you have no idea what
that means to me."
Needless to say, my coaching days are far from
over.
On Wednesday of the same week, I called one of my
younger sisters who had juvenile diabetes and lost
a kidney and a eye. She had a kidney and pancreas
transplant and was close to losing a leg
and has never complained. She recently went
through a divorce and a job change and has been an
inspiration in my life. She got her just reward
during the call.
I thank God for putting Elaina
and Beth in the car with me because they made me realize
that I never told my sister that she was an inspiration
in my life.
Unfortunately, my parents never got their
rewards. I hope that Elaina and all who read this
story will pick up a pen or a phone and give a
reward to someone who deserves it.
The moral of the story is "Tell anyone who has
inspired you how they have inspired you."
The reward of knowing that you inspired someone can't
be measured.
--- Copyright © 1999 Dennis A. Pulchinski --- Illinois
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