Support Their Dreams

He was sitting across from me, his head lowered. “I don’t think I can do this. I’m too old to do it.” He thought he was old, but he was in his early forties, and school seemed to be kicking his butt, or so he felt. “I waited too long to finish. I don’t think I am capable of doing college-level work”.

Well, he was working a full-time professional position, operating a small business on the side, rehabbing his home, and had raised six kids. Damon was trying to finish his long attended undergraduate degree a few classes at a time. Did I mention he was working a few hours a week in my office?

I knew he was exhausted, stretching himself, trying to keep it all going, but he was ready to give up. Looking directly into his gaze, I said, “you can do it, you have the ability, you can do more than you know.” My tone and my face conveyed sincerity and my confidence in what I had shared. He needed someone to believe in him, to remind him not to abandon his dream.

You are probably expecting me to tell you how his life turned around and how he got that degree. No, it got worse for him. He lost his full-time job, his side business floundered, he did a short stint in prison and had an incredibly difficult time reintegrating.

But he will tell you he made it through, with God’s help, some deep soul searching, and facing very difficult circumstances. He re-established himself, resurrected his business, completed his master’s, became an ordained minister, and earned his PhD. Today he is Rev. Dr. Damon who periodically meets with the Governor on important issues in his community.

He has become one of my closest friends as he affectionately calls me “his brother from another mother”. It was only a moment where I had to speak the truth to him. There were many other times when we talked and worked through issues. It was his dream and I wanted to do everything I could to support it. Now, he is doing the same for others.