Finding Yourself by Losing Yourself

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
     Gandhi

You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give.
     Winston Churchill

We were deeply impressed by the stories of the thousands of elite, world-class runners, who after the cancellation of the New York City Marathon last week, chose to go to Staten Island to help with the clean-up, recovery and relief efforts of that utterly devastated part of the city. About that effort, one blogger wrote:

Runners and walkers and everyone who collected, packed, showed up in orange, stayed cheerful/flexible/focused, hit the ground with heavy backpacks and targeted areas and people that needed it most: You not only dropped off supplies, but you really rolled up your sleeves to help the community.

The New York Times reported:

At the same time that more than 47,000 runners were supposed to start the marathon on Staten Island on Sunday morning, an army of would-be runners from all over the world streamed onto the Staten Island Ferry, carrying backpacks and rolling luggage stuffed to the seams with food, water, diapers, pet food and other goods. One dragged a 30-inch suitcase weighed down with at least 75 pounds of clothing, batteries and snacks.

 Some wore their marathon bib numbers. Many wore their orange long-sleeve T-shirts they received from race organizers.

 They got their hands dirty:

• Michelle Leichtling, a volunteer, trying to salvage a stranger’s soaking-wet wedding album. “But this?” she said as she slipped a 1980 photo of a beaming bride from an album slick with moisture. “It does not get more personal than this. I’m glad there was no marathon. This is exactly where we were supposed to be today.”

• David Walton, whose wife was among the marathoners, found himself on a bike with a backpack full of garbage bags and other supplies in New Dorp Beach. Though residents were gladly taking the bags, he said he felt helpless. “We are giving trash bags to people who don’t have houses left,” Walton said.

• One group of runners helped a couple, Maryann and Sebastian Battaglia, by tearing out the soaked wallboard and insulation from the first floor of their home. The volunteers also scrubbed their stairwells clean. The couple said that what the runners did for them saved them three or four days’ work. Only later did the Battaglias learn that one volunteer was Bente Skari, a champion cross-country skier who won a gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games. She had come from Norway to run her first marathon … Skari said she had volunteered with 50 others from her group from Scandinavia because “I will return to run the marathon here,” she said. “But first, we are here to help.”

Each of those runners could have ignored the devastation around them and concentrated instead on themselves. But those runners, who went to Staten Island and to other places in New York and down the New Jersey coast, chose to serve instead. They put the needs of others ahead of their own disappointment and special interest and they went … to help.

In this month of the year, we are all urged to pause and to be more intentional about giving thanks. We are both especially reminded to reflect on and offer gratitude for those who act from their hearts and for their concern and compassion for others. We need to take the time to reflect; it keeps us grounded. It reminds us that we are not here merely for ourselves, but for one another.

The humility and grace of those marathoners who served instead on their marathon day inspires us. We are grateful for them and for all those this season who serve in their own ways to bring light and hope into others’ lives.

Photo by OCG Saving The Ocean on Unsplash