"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.” –Helen Keller
What I find fascinating about this quote is not the words themselves, but the author. Helen Keller, deaf and blind from childhood, looked fear straight in the face and spoke words that would forever challenge and strengthen the generations who would follow her. She is truly an inspriation to me.
But, for all the respect and admiration I have for Helen Keller, I can't help but celebrate the contributions made by her faithful companion, teacher, and friend Anne Sullivan. As I think about what it takes to be a great teacher, to tred through the muddy waters of education and go head first into the tide just to help a student discover a "light bulb" moment, she takes the cake. How many days do you think she wanted to give up? How many nights did she cry herself to sleep for fear of being ineffective...or from sheer exhaustion? How often did she question her calling or struggle with boredom or wish for a more predictable future? Did she ever believe the lie that safety is achieved only by avoiding danger?
Something tells me that, even when she tried to shrink back into the shadows of security, that little voice inside pushed her back into the light - where getting burned was worth the danger of standing in the sun.
