The Race

There is a trial that all of us run in. Some of us are aware of it, others of us do our best to ignore it, and there are a lucky few who are oblivious to it, but we are all here and we are all running. It is a long and grueling trail with many ups and downs along with no small amount of twists and pitfalls. Some of us start in different area of the track and some lucky few are handed a road map but not all pay attention to it. None of us seem to be aware of where the finish line will be and many of us often find ourselves wishing we had chosen a different path. There are some who have been in this trial for many years and others who have just begun. Many times, the veterans try to guide the newcomers, and some succeed while other novices wish to chart their own course.

There are times when friends and loved ones who have been alongside you the whole time will suddenly veer off and choose a different path leaving you to run alone. Other times they will simply vanish either falling behind or having finished the course. Those are difficult times; the feeling of abandonment can drive a person to feel as though they have gone as far as they can and opt to finish there and then. Others wander about the course trying to make sense of the loss, searching, and hurting from the sudden separation. Yet they all begin the trial again, some moving with energy, the finishing of a friend or loved one spurring them to finish. While others move with strained steps ignoring the course around them and often stumbling into more mires and hindrances.

Yet there are joys along the trail, and the truth of it is that there are far more blessings than sorrows. In my years of running, the burden that I have seen exhaust other competitors is twofold. The first is that many view this as a race, not an obstacle course. They do not see the trail for what it is, a wonderful chance to help and meet others while trying to conquer the difficulties ahead. This is simply a race and to succeed in a race is to be first. These people run ahead not caring who they hurt along the way, having no remorse for whose knee is scrapped by their shove or who is trampled under their feet. Some of them build up obstacles in hopes that others will not be able to follow them on their easy route while others even alter trail signs to purposefully confuse others. Second are those I have much more compassion for. These are the people who have been tricked and persuaded by the above-mentioned “racers” that this is a competition. These unfortunate people have been lied to and manipulated into believing that they must race and that if they do not, they have failed.

Nothing could be further from the truth. We are not competing, we are surviving. We are not rivals but cohorts. The point of this trial was not to see who can be first, second, or third but to see who can be helpful, kind, and most of all compassionate. The goal of this trial is to make allies and friends. Those people that you help when they are struggling and who help you when you are lost. The race of life is not a competition. It is more of a marathon and requires that we understand that. This marathon we are all in requires us to remember that we are not enemies, we are not at odds, and we are not vying for placement. Eventually, whether we realize it or not we will all cross that finish line. The important part is who crossed with you? Who helped you and who did you help? At the end of the trial, the winners will be those who finished with friends rather than those who finished first.