"Life Doesn't Care About Streaks"

Before the Superbowl I saw a special on ESPN about a Towson student (TU Represent!) who had multiple health issues throughout his life. After battling disease and heartache as a young man, he went to college and things started going well. He thought his "streak" of bad luck was over. Then his mother, who had raised him alone, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Still, he fought on in pursuit of happiness. An avid Ravens fan, he began to draw parallels between his life and the Ravens season. The Ravens had lost a couple big games in a row...they were in a losing streak. Each week they faced the field again thinking it couldn't happen again, that a streak could break and they were "due for a win." This student wrote to Harbaugh, telling him that he shouldn't count on his "due." That "life doesn't care about streaks." That if they wanted to turn things around they had to do it themselves- they had to fight for their success and their wins. That in life, no one is owed anything.

I remember hearing his letter on ESPN and huge, heavy tears ran down my face as his words sunk in. Here was a person who has faced an entire life of hardship and was dealt another blow when he thought his "streak" was over. And yet, he still stood with his head high and faced life each day living the best life that he could.

For some reason, I felt like he was talking directly to me. And maybe Harbaugh thought he was talking directly to him...maybe the entire squad thought he was talking directly to their season, their losses, their successes. I would wager that most who listened to his words felt a cord struck within them. We all have had times where we have had "streaks" that have bowled us over and knocked us down repeatedly. His message is universal.

Life owes us nothing. We cannot count on life to dole hardship out "fairly." In times of crisis we often say "it's not fair," as if that somehow matters...as if there is someone, somewhere who is keeping a tally on who is "due" for their bad luck and who has already "served their time." Is this not foolish thinking? We are trained to believe that if we suffer a loss in one area of our lives that we are somehow exempt from bad luck elsewhere. But that simply isn't the case. Throughout history we have seen, time and time again, people who have been repeatedly persecuted, repeatedly challenged, repeatedly taxed.And yet, if life was "fair" they would never have had to face hardship again and again since they had already, in theory, gotten their "fair share" of adversity.

But that's the whole point. Life will hand out the lemons whether you decide to make lemonade or not. It is our outlook and our attitude that ultimately determines how we perceive those cards we are dealt. Finding meaning and lessons in our struggles can help, but ultimately happiness and satisfaction with the hand we are dealt all comes down to resiliency and perspective. Once we humble ourselves and realize that we aren't entitled to anything in this life, our struggles fall away and we begin to see the things we have been fortunate enough to blessed with. To realize we aren't owed anything, and that bad luck doesn't care how often it visits is like being given a gift. It helps humble us and makes us more grateful for the good luck we have had in some parts of our lives.

As I move forward from that horrible day in November and face Quinn's "due date" in April, which will now be a day of grief and pain, I sometimes catch myself thinking, "it could never happen again, that's just not fair." It is then that I stop and think about that Towson student who reminded me of the harsh reality that just because I suffered bad luck once does not mean it cannot happen again. It certainly could. And I then have to stop and think to myself, "life doesn't care about streaks."  I put on my brave face in those moments. I reach deep inside and appeal to the only Person who can control what life hands me, God. All I can do is hope that one of these times, it WON'T happen. That I will get my happy ending. But in the mean time I have to arm myself with strength and with faith, in case it does. I have to remind myself that this is a road I mostly walk alone. Sure, there are others out there who have seen the specific type of pain I have felt, but that they are few and far between- that more often, I will see others get their happy ending while I wait silently for mine. Because life isn't fair. And while I wait, I need to just make sure that I am doing my best to make lemonade from each and every lemon I am given.