5 Lessons from the Tortoise

Are you a fast walker? I'm not! I'm certainly not a runner either. As I was walking to the Duke Clinic where my husband waited for me, my mind drifted back to our younger years. I heard him jokingly say to me "You'll be in a wheelchair before you're 50!", deeming my feet and leg impairments would put me there. I would always say in a stern yet determined way "No, no I won't!" Steve was always a hurried individual, anxious and NEVER late. I say he's early, not on-time, arriving at least 15 minutes before an appointment. Then, my laid back somewhat lackadaisical mannerisms drive him crazy. In my mind, I'm "on-time" if I arrive 5-10 minutes after my scheduled appointment times. He used to be an early riser. I'm still a late morning sleeper.

This day, I dropped him off at the door of the Duke Clinic to save him steps and oxygen then I walked from the parking garage to meet him. It's quite a little hike, maybe 350 yards. I moved my car three times to get a better parking space close to the entrance. During my hike, I thought about the Tortoise from Aesop's fables. For the first time in my life, I felt overwhelmed with joy to be like the Tortoise. Five lessons the very short story gives us from the Tortoise are:

1. Maintain your God-given pace
2. Challenge yourself and others against all odds
3. Believe you can
4. Work with what you've got
5. Never, ever stop until you reach the finish line

I'm guessing Tortoise may have based his life on I Corinthians 15:58 that says "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." or in turtle words...Slow and Steady wins the race!

Pacing myself,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap

Are you a tortoise or the hare? Leave me a comment and tell me why...