By Jack Cumming
On September 7 I attended the commemoration of life for Caleb James Stricker, age 17. Caleb was an exceptional young man, who graduated from high school last June, and who was about to enter Benedictine College. He was a star football player in the fullness of life and youth.
Value Your Life
Life is precious, and its fragility is unpredictable. Here I am at age 88 contemplating the death of a youngster 71 years younger than me. We can’t know how much life Providence will grant us. It’s important that we make the most of what we are given.
What is your purpose, and how does it give meaning to your life? For many, it is a career devoted to helping those who are less fortunate, or who have become frail, or whose minds have been damaged. That is a miracle calling, and the people who heed that call, and who revel in their life purpose, are miracle people.
What is your inborn gift? How does the privilege of that gift call you to service toward others? Not everyone has the same gifts that you have. I think of conjoined twins who still find strength to support each other and to bring joy to the lives of others. Though these twins were separated, the challenges of their birth persist. Still, they bring love and joy to the world.
Caring for Others
Think of people like the twins, and think of those for whom you care. For those who are called to the care of the elderly, the gifts of empathy, youth, and good health are not entitlements of privilege. They are gifts that require that we give our best to those who are not so fortunate as we are.
A provider-owner has an ethical call to put the welfare of those served by the business first. They may not consider themselves “fiduciaries” in the legal sense of the word, but still there is an ethic of humankind that puts the greater good before self-aggrandizement and self-enrichment. Moving down the hierarchy of privilege from the lofty heights of ownership, we find many who forego other more lucrative careers to give themselves in dedication to the betterment of others.
Pride of Craft and Dedication
If you are one of these giving, gifting people, hold your head up high with the dignity of one who is doing the work that only the greatest do. You can take pride in the mastery of the craft of caregiving that is your strength.
Too often people put themselves first. The New York Times reported recently that Bob Iger, Disney mogul, was jealous of Les Moonves, Paramount boss, because Moonves’s pay package was $69.3 Million while Iger only took home $36.3 Million.
Know Your Value
Know your value. The corporate hierarchy is often upside down. It clearly is in the case of someone who feels victimized because he only gets paid $36.3 million for a year’s work. I give the prize of “greatest” not to that egotist but to the bloke who cleans up the mess after an elderly person has an accident.
Love yourself. You have chosen a great cause to give your life to. Take pride in that. You are better than Bob Iger. He may be mighty, but you are great. Whether your life is long or short, you will be able to stand tall and proud at the pearly gates, and say “Here is what I have done, and here are the gifts I bring.” And the guardian of the gates will respond with a smile, “Welcome home!”
