Spiritual Warrior

I’m in Israel right now, and my wife and two of my kids are visiting Australia. Both of us have been going through bouts of jealousy; why isn’t our situation like theirs? Why don’t we have what they have?

I know in my mind that Chanukah is about being grateful for who we are and what we have. It’s about not competing for who is better, but about honoring our individual potential and the opportunity that our lives provide to bring that potential into reality. However, for me, knowing in my mind and feeling in my heart are two different things. When I hear words from the heart they help transform ideas in my head into feelings of my heart. The letter below, that my daughter shared with me are such words.

Abba, this is a monologue that my friend Matt Jeffers wrote for his class. Matt is the short statured friend of mine. He read it to me tonight at Starbucks and I thought you might like it.

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I believe that you can never underestimate the power of a positive attitude. Do you know why I believe that? I believe that because if that wasn’t the case, then there is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be here today. I wouldn’t be here today because somewhere along the road, I would have fallen apart. And with the road I have taken, believe me I’ve had plenty of chances to do just that. See, you’re looking up here, and staring into the eyes of an 18-year-old guy who stands no taller than your average 5th grader. You’re observing and wondering very quietly to yourself, I cannot begin to imagine what life must be like being that short. Well I’ll tell you! It can be hard. If you’re my height, life can be very hard, if you don’t have the attitude I have. You see to me, it’s not worth it to mope around and dwell on the harsh reality that I am and will always be, different. I’ve been through more than my fair share of heartaches and disappointments. And yes, family and friends were a vital part in getting me through the more than 20 surgeries, the staring, the pointing, the laughing, the name-calling. But nothing would have done anything if I hadn’t chosen, at a very young age, to live my life to begin, and end, with a positive attitude. That is what gets me through the day.

I remember like it was yesterday. I was ten years old. It was June. School was nearing the end. I was gleaming with excitement. And then I got the news. My increasingly bowing legs that had already been straightened through a series of surgeries 5 years before had to be re-straightened. Suddenly, my June went from camp and sleepovers, to four surgeries in four weeks, followed by 2 months of recovering in a hip spike cast, blood transfusions, catheters, morphine; unspeakable amounts of pain. But I’ll let you in on a little secret; life can be just as beautiful lying on your back. There wasn’t a day of that summer that I cursed life, because when you have the attitude I have, you don’t curse life.

Conventional wisdom would say that a 4’1” white kid doesn’t belong on the basketball court. To heck with that. Basketball is a passion of mine, and I have put in countless hours on improving my game. The first basketball camp I signed up for was 5 Star Basketball camp when I was 12 years old. I’ll never forget that first day. I literally had all eyes on me; me, with my little black Allen Iverson shoes and Michael Jordan jersey. The laughs, the pointing, it was coming from all directions. Camp hadn’t even started, and I already had been given every reason to quit, to run away, to burn my sneakers and hate ESPN. But I came to play basketball, and there was no way that I was about to let jokes and laughter stop me from putting a ball in the net. Two weeks later, I won the Oray Mullis Sportsmanship Award. And shortly after that, I was offered a spot on the Men’s Olympic short statured basketball team. It pays to be nice. It pays to keep fighting. It pays to be positive.

Fast-forward six years and I was at senior week in Ocean City, celebrating my recent graduation from high school. Finally, I was done, and it was just me and my guys, living the life. The first night we went out to the boardwalk, a heavyset man in his 40’s came running over to me and said; Hey buddy, I have to tell you something. I said sure, what is it? He said, I was just watching this porn with two midgets, and it was the funniest thing ever. You guys rock. I have to be honest. That hurt. Not being able to celebrate a milestone in my life without being put down hurt me. I was missing my armor. You see, every morning in high school, my mother would ask me if I had my armor on. I always said yes. She knew I never took my armor off. But on that night at the boardwalk, even my armor couldn’t stop the pain. I didn’t say anything to that man, just walked away. He won. It’s not always easy to turn the other cheek, but that’s life you know! You take the good with the bad. I did enjoy my senior week. And I am enjoying my life. And I see no reason to stop.

I know the power being positive can have. But too many people don’t. Too many people miss out on life by dwelling over little things. They’re the only things holding us back from moving forward. Keep your head up. The only disability in life is a bad attitude. This I believe.

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Matt Jeffers is a real spiritual warrior. He is a young man who is daily defeating the darkness of despair with the true light of Chanukah.

Because of him; who am I to feel sorry for myself because so and so has more money or this one lives in Israel or Australia?

A man like Matt has the true stature to raise the bar so the rest of us have no excuse not to be grateful.

Thank you Matt.

Have a great Chanukah,

Simcha