One of my very favorite poems, that has helped me through several difficult times in my life, was written by Dee Groberg and is titled “The Race” (I am posting it below…it will inspire you to never give up…):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cQuit! Give up! You\u2019re beaten!\u201d\nthey shout at me, and plead.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s just too much against you now, this time you can\u2019t succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And as I start to hang my head in\nfront of failure\u2019s face,
\nMy downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
\nAnd hope refills my weakened will, as I recall that scene,
\nFor just the thought of that short race rejuvenates my being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They all lined up so full of\nhope, each thought to win that race.
\nOr tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
\nAnd fathers watched from off the side, each cheering for his son,
\nAnd each boy hoped to show his dad, that he would be the one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The whistle blew, and off they\nwent, young hearts and hopes afire,
\nTo win and be the hero there was each young boy\u2019s desire.
\nAnd one boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
\nWas running near the head, and thought, \u201cMy dad will be so proud!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But as he fell, his dad stood up,\nand showed his anxious face,
\nWhich to the boy so clearly said, \u201cGet up and win the race.\u201d
\nHe quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit, that\u2019s all,
\nAnd ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So anxious to restore himself, to\ncatch up and to win,
\nHis mind went faster than his legs; he slipped and fell again!
\nHe wished then he had quit before with only one disgrace.
\n\u201cI\u2019m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn\u2019t try to race.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in the laughing crowd he\nsearched, and found his father\u2019s face,
\nthat steady look that said again, \u201cGet up and win the race!\u201d
\nSo up he jumped to try again, ten yards behind the last,
\n\u201cIf I\u2019m to gain those yards,\u201d he thought, \u201cI\u2019ve got to move real fast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exceeding everything he had he\ngained back eight or ten,
\nBut trying so to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
\nDefeat! He lay there silently, a tear dropped from his eye.
\n\u201cThere is no sense in running more. Three strikes, I\u2019m out, why try?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The will to rise had disappeared,\nall hope had fled away.
\nSo far behind, so error prone, a loser all the way.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve lost, so what\u2019s the use,\u201d he thought, \u201cI\u2019ll live with my disgrace.\u201d
\nBut then he thought about his dad, who soon he\u2019d have to face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGet up!\u201d an echo sounded low,\n\u201cGet up, and take your place.
\nYou were not meant for failure here, get up and win the race.\u201d
\n\u201cWith borrowed will get up,\u201d it said, \u201cYou have not lost at all.
\nFor winning is no more than this: to rise each time you fall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So up he rose to run once more,\nand with a new commit,
\nHe resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn\u2019t quit.
\nSo far behind the others now, the most he\u2019d ever been,
\nStill he gave it all he had, and ran as though to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three times he\u2019d fallen\nstumbling, three times he\u2019d rose again,
\nToo far behind to hope to win he still ran to the end.
\nThey cheered the winning runner, as he crossed the line first place.
\nHead high and proud and happy, no falling, no disgrace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But when the fallen youngster\ncrossed the finish line last place,
\nThe crowd gave him the greater cheer for finishing the race.
\nAnd even though he came in last, with head bowed low, unproud,
\nYou would have thought he won the race to listen to the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And to his dad, he sadly said, \u201cI\ndidn\u2019t do so well.\u201d
\n\u201cTo me you won!\u201d his father said, \u201cYou rose each time you fell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And when things seem dark and\nhard, and difficult to face,
\nThe memory of that little boy helps me to win my race.
\nFor all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all,
\nAnd all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cQuit! Give up! You\u2019re beaten!\u201d they still shout in my face.\u00a0
But another voice within me says:\u00a0\u201cGET UP AND WIN THE RACE!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n