"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt, The Man in the Arena
As my son nears his second birthday this quote came to me. I want my son to be a man of courage and boldness. I want my son to be willing to fight for what is just. I want my son to be strong and kind. I want my son to realize failure is not failure but a time of growth.
May we all be people willing to face challenges and be willing to follow the example of the man in the arena.
My Number #1 Boy