“Go the Distance…”

"GO THE DISTANCE"

It was an unfair hand to be dealt. We were thrust into this chaotic world without our permission and without our approval. We did not ask to be here, yet we have been forced to survive. There were no detailed instructions that would guarantee success. There was no perfect plan to ensure our well being. There was no absolute determination that our parents, our teachers, and other leaders would guide is in the right direction. And now, here we are today. Veteran players of this enormous wonder we call life. Survivors of life's daily challenges. Warriors of the daily grind ... Yet, no matter how powerful we may feel; no matter how special we may think we are -- we are all still only human -- all tragically doomed as temporary inhabitants of this planet we call earth.

And so we have gone this far. We have made it to this point ... Yet, there is still so much more to do ... Though we may never fully comprehend the reason as to who we are and why we are, one thing is certain: We are here. We are now. And we must GO THE DISTANCE ... We must GO THE DISTANCE because we've already suffered through so much pain. We've already gone through so much misery. We've already invested so much energy. So much time and effort ... So much blood, so much sweat, and so many tears ... Think of all all the sacrifices we've made. All the heartaches we've experienced. We've already gone through the shattered dreams. The broken promises. And through all the agonizing torment from our lack of understanding, our insecurities, our disappointments, and our failures ... We must GO THE DISTANCE because we've earned the right to be who we are. We've already climbed the ladder of life. We've already moved up in the totem pole. We've already established our position in the rank and file ... We must GO THE DISTANCE because we have gone this far. We have made it to this point ... There's no stopping now ...

We must proceed to continue the legacy of the human spirit. The legacy of our strength. Our courage. Our ability to fight. Our ability to overcome. And our fearless and relentless drive to keep on trying. To keep on living ... To keep surviving ... The time has come for a reawakening. To recognize ourselves for all of our accomplishments. To reward ourselves for weathering the storms of the past. And to remind ourselves that though there will be more pain; though there will be more sacrifices to make -- it will only make us stronger, make us smarter ... Make us better human beings ... Even in our most trying times, we must never give up. We must never lose hope. We must always believe that despite against all odds, we will eventually prevail. That we will somehow, be it through prayer, through luck, or by faith -- make it through the day. And so as we live through our existence; as we try to make sense of the human experience; as we try to find the meaning of life -- let us never forget that we have gone this far. We have made it to this point ... And we must continue along to GO THE DISTANCE .........