"Life is about how you react when you get a bad bounce." Thomas Friedman

While reading the opinion section of the NYT a few days after Tiger Woods' remarkable win in the 2019 Masters, I stumbled across an opinion article written by Thomas Friedman, one of favorite writers and thinkers right now.  He said, "Life is about how you react when you get a bad bounce."  I said to myself, "That's it.  That is absolutely true."  If we're talking about Tiger, his life turned upside down over a decade ago, much of it his own doing, but he gathered himself together, did the work, and here he is in 2019, Masters champion once again.  Most of us don't realize what a truly difficult feat he has achieved.  Four back surgeries, endless hours of rehab, and mental toughness, made it happen for him.  So much is about mental strength.

I can't help but think of my husband Ron, and how he has reacted to his bad bounce(s).  Yes, he's had more than one bad bounce.  19 months in federal prison because of a minor tax infraction by an overzealous prosecutor, commonly treated with a tax penalty and then several years later, a diagnosis of ALS.  I'd call that a bad bounce, but he has survived.  Losing house, money, friends and family, he has survived by putting one foot in front of the other, having a plan (financial), keeping his sense of humor and knowing from his earlier achievements that success is based on honesty, integrity and hard work.  So here we are in a beautiful home, with a small circle of good friends, some old, some new, strong family support from our children and my mom, and by anyone's standards, a good life.  Yes, ALS has taken away much of Ron's ability to move, but his spirit is strong.  Ron got a bad bounce, but that doesn't mean he's out of the game, by any means.

Each one of you know someone where life has taken a bad bounce.  How one reacts is what it's all about.  Unfortunately, some withdraw from life and never recover.  Others find a way  to move forward.  Regardless of what you think of Tiger personally, and I don't think anyone condones his marital behavior that lead to his initial fall from grace, he must be admired for the physical and mental strength it took to  achieve what he has ultimately achieved.  What Ron has done is also remarkable.  He has rebuilt a business, worked hard to keep friends and family close and involved in his life, and tried every day to be the best person, and the best example of how to live a difficult life with dignity.  Above all, he wants his children and grandchildren to be proud of how he lives his life.