Because I had a friend.

“I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

What a remarkable admission.

Whether you believe him or not, whether you want to rattle off the dozen character traits, innate or otherwise, you consider responsible for Lincoln’s success – consider that a distraction at the moment. From this: acknowledging how much good we can do in each others’ lives. That we could make this much of a difference in another’s life.

Maybe it is you who, in your lifetime, will give someone else this unspeakable gift. [May they not need it.]

Maybe it is someone else who will give, and play this role for you. [May you not need it.]

And while I would guess we are meant to play this role for ourselves, at least once, in our lifetime, I am certain that it is one of the most exquisite acts toward ourselves we could perform. That we might say about something, at some point in our journey: ‘I am a success today because there was a part of me that believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him/her down.’ [As beloved Dr. Pinkola-Estes says, ‘May it be so for you. And may it be so for me. May it be so for all of us.’]