June 27, 2010 THE UNFINISHED IMAGE
He’s only 46 years old, but we’ve been friends for 20 years. He married into a family of my friends. We’ve enjoyed dinners together, watched the Packers beat the Vikings on their home field, and we’ve grieved together over the loss of family members.
Last Spring his cousin needed a kidney. Steve had two healthy ones; he gave his cousin one of his. That’s logical. It’s good math. We only need one. Everyone has two to start with; like ears, except sound comes from more than one direction. It’s about sharing, isn’t it? Here is the perfect example that life is more than logic! More than math!
“Was it painful?” I asked. “Very!” he replied. “What did your wife think about it?” “Well, she was worried, but she was supportive!”
Last minute complications emerged. Insurance papers were not in order. The exchange took place in a hospital 2,000 miles from home. His son was graduating from high school and entering the United States Air Force the same week. But, no one lost his nerve after a day passed, and the surgery was rescheduled. It happened; it was successful.
“I admire you so much!” I told him, unabashedly! “Well, I made a difference in someone’s life!” he admitted. He was proud of what he’d done. A little later, musing, he said it again, “I made a difference in someone’s life.”
For some life is a rat race; it is a scramble to win. For others, life is a burden. Still others see life as a matter of logic or mathematics; winning and getting the most is everything! For Steve, life is a gift he received and a gift he has given! It’s not complicated. Giving life is always the best way to make a difference in the lives of others.