My Fear of the Fun of Failure…

Rarely do we seek to fail; in fact, one of the keys to success is planning and visualizing accomplishments. I am a great example of a person that even goes out of their way to avoid failure. The kids at The Children’s Home are changing my mind.

The kids on campus are not paralyzed by the fear many of us embrace. Our kids are amazing! Their lives have taught them that overcoming barriers is a common occurrence. Instead of running away from difficulty they often run towards it, knowing that it may take a few tries but they can conquer anything. They possess a quality of risk that is attractive. I was able to celebrate the passing of a drivers test with a girl that had previously failed. The victory was so much sweeter. She learned from her mistakes practiced and passed. Instead of passing the test like I did on the first time, she EARNED her license and wanted everyone to know it. This is a simple incident for me but a lifestyle of hers.

I think it is a quality that is gradually produced. On the rare occasion that I have the honor of hearing their stories told from their point of view; I go through a range of emotions. I am first sad for the struggles and pain they have faced, I then become angry at the lot in life that was outside of their control. This feeling however slowly becomes overshadowed by my amazement of their strength and courage. Inevitably, I am left with astonishment and a healthy jealousy of their character. These kids aren’t poor foster children they are heroes. They possess virtues that we aspire to have after a lifetime of experiences.

How often do our minds fixate on failure rather than become in tune with the opportunity of growth? How often do we spend discussing and being disgusted with failure rather than doing the hard work of learning and earning achievement? The Children’s Home is good for me……It is a place full of adults that love kids; not what kids do. It is a place of half written stories with endless potential and final chapters of triumph still to be written.

Please come hang out with our amazing kids this Tuesday, September 27th, 2016 at 6:00 pm as we enjoy the musical talent of Insufficient Funds!

Darrin Murphy, President
Amarillo Children’s Home