Though I Do Not Know the Way

My dad and I, over the last several months, have been collecting quotes and moments of quiet heroism. These aren't the banner moments of a story. It isn't underscored by a symphony and highlighted by dramatic shifts in lighting. It's a moment where someone looks at the scenes around them, realizes that if anyone is going to do anything, it has to happen now, and makes a humble choice to be the difference. My dad described it as the moment where someone "decides to be more than what they are". 

One of the quintessential moments that built the framework of this trope is Frodo's declaration that he will take the Ring to Mordor "though [he does] not know the way". I've started seeing similar moments everywhere, of course in the books I read and movies I watch, but more often in the people I see around me. I have no shortage of examples that surround me when I think of heroics.

It's a castmate taking a moment of silence to bring up a concern she has that it turns out the rest of us related to. It's a friend choosing to stay outside after a long day so I don't have to keep sitting alone. It's every single one of my coworkers when they see a student struggling and know they will become the target of their pain, and going up to them anyway. It's choosing to sing when you know you are probably going to cry, but thinking the song needs to be heard regardless. It is, above all, the plea of the Savior in Gethsemane and on the cross: "But not my will, but thy will be done" and "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

I love these moments because they do not need to happen. In the grand scheme of things, those moments could easily become inconsequential. But they're not. What seems like a small choice can have massive impact, and though it's not going to make any kind of headline, it's influence can and often will ripple out beyond our wildest expectations. I find myself fascinated by the ways that we touch each other's lives. 

These small and incredibly important decisions shape who we are. I genuinely believe the moments that define us to our friends, families, partners, coworkers, and acquaintances will largely be forgotten by us. 

I don't typically create challenges to accompany my posts. These are largely my small drops in a void to feel like my words are going somewhere beyond my own mind, and I think they will remain such. But this time, to keep anyone who reads these on their toes, I do have a request. 

Ask someone you trust what moments they remember that seem quintessentially you. Find out in some way what matters to them when they think about you. 

Brave the discomfort of vulnerability and try and escape your view of yourself for just a moment and try and accept what someone who loves you sees. I promise something about their answer will surprise you.