Force of Will
I am fascinated by biographies of famous leaders and public figures. I have little interest in the tawdry details of their sex lives. What I’ve always found interesting is how significant events in their early lives shape the nuances and strengths of their adult careers. Thus Teddy Roosevelt’s childhood asthma led to his robust interest in physical fitness. His doctor-prescribed retreats west fueled his later passion for the American frontier (he was sent to Arizona to dry out his lungs). Both shaped his presidency. One influenced his heroic efforts in the Spanish American War, the other gave birth to the national park system.
It is through this “life lens” that I often reflect on my own children. How will Jordan’s journey with cancer shape the woman she will become? How will it affect Luc? Sometimes I believe the answers to both questions permeate our daily family life. (more…)
