Effort & Empathy - What does it get you?

"I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give." Roberto Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder, 1972.

Roberto Clemente collected his 3000th hit of his career on t he last game of the 1972 season. He was killed in a plane crash the following New Years Eve when transporting emergency supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

I have recently witnessed death first hand of people who were in the middle of their extraordinary lives, helping others, building families, and then to be taken suddenly. I wonder how mmany of us give all that we can, to our spouses, children, co-workers, customers...all the people in our lives that we meet on a day to day basis. Are we good to them? Or are we just good enough to get what we want out the relationship? Do we help them and offer our support, our assistance, our empathy? Do we care enough to show them that we care about them as people? Do we care to know enough about their problems so that we can help, or just listen? Or are we all too focused on ourselves to possibly give to others.

I think most of us know the answers, and somehow we keep forgetting the questions.