The Auggie in All of Us

I always love a good quote, and I most definitely love a good precept. Words have a magical way of inspiring us. They can keep us motivated, they can cheer us up, they can bring hope and encouragement.

When I read Mr. Tushman's speech, in which he presented Auggie the Henry Ward Beecher medal, I was on the verge of tears. Mr. Tushman seemed to sum up all the little morals in the book quite nicely:

" It's what you've done with your time, how you've chosen to spend your days, and whom you have touched this year. That, to me, is the greatest measure of success." Page 299

"If you act just a little kinder than necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God." Page 301

"He is the greatest, whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own." Page 304

How inspiring!! I feel my heart form wings and fly away every time I read these lines! How amazing this world would be if we lived by these very words!! August Pullman isn't a fictional character...he's out there. He's everywhere! He's in you and in me. The silent kid at lunch, or the loud kid down the hall. The little infants and in the elderly. We all have trials that break us down, and cause us to question ourselves. So how would we treat August Pullman if we met him in person? How would we treat our neighbor?

This leads to my personal precept. I hope to one day fulfill it in everything I do:

Love is more than a feeling. It's an action.

We often think of love as only an emotion. However, the best way to show love is through our deeds toward those around us... our deeds toward all those Auggies out there.

So, I will leave you with one more quote from my good friend August Pullman: