“Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” – James Lane Allen
In 2015, I shared some thoughts on Emily’s heroic nature as she handled the difficulty of her cancer diagnosis and treatment in a post called A God Among Us. Then and now, she was super human to me, and I hope you will go back and read that post after this one.
While the adversity that cancer brought revealed Emily’s heroism, it did not create it; it simply revealed it. Long before her diagnosis, Emily was a hero. In the months following Emily’s passing, I received numerous messages from strangers to me. People who had the good fortune of crossing Emily’s path in her short life. These folks reached out to share stories of what Emily meant to them: a childhood friend who remembered Emily going out of her way to talk to her and make her feel included when no one else did; an old teammate that recalled Emily’s friendship; a former classmate, years removed, that received a random gift in the mail from Emily. These surprise messages continue to find their way to me, and each one is a gift—an investment Emily made that continues to provide returns.
For each of these stories that have found their way back to me, I know there are countless others unspoken. I know this because I saw them happen. I was there when Emily would come home with a random gift for someone–often someone I had never met. Someone Emily hadn’t spoken to in years, but she ran across something that made her think of them, so naturally, she had to buy it and send it to them. I was there when we couldn’t go to any store without rummaging through sales bins to find items for care packages she put together for homeless people she happened to cross around town. I was there when she made homemade greeting cards decorated with hand-carved stamps that she would randomly send to people who came across her mind. I was there a month after she was gone when I found one of those undelivered gifts. I was able to deliver it on her behalf. A simple, silly gift, and yet so important. To Emily. To the recipient. To me.
These stories came back to me as I was having a conversation with my brother this weekend. We were talking about politics and current events, as often happens. As we talked, I expressed the idea that I don’t understand people whose political positions only benefit themselves or people like them. As the words left my mouth, I immediately thought of Emily. Of her selflessness and generosity. Of her heroism. Of all those stories and how, on so many random days, she saved the day for someone else simply by being kind.
Today marks five years since Emily has left this world. Through the years, I have tried to use this date as an opportunity to celebrate her life. Today, I would like to invite you to celebrate with me. And I hope you will celebrate by being someone else’s hero.
emily and bret 