Be the best

A visitor to Brookgreen Gardens said to me "I wish I were as talented as these sculptors."

I answered, "Each of us has a talent - maybe not sculpture, but something."

The visitor responded, "You're right, but I haven't found my talent yet and I'm 75 years old."

Okay, Mr. Guest. Perhaps you are right. Not everyone can figure out his own special contribution to the world. Sometimes it seems as though everyone else has more opportunity than we do.

My husband once said to me "I can't draw anything. I can't draw a car or a hot dog." I thought that was interesting, since cars and hot dogs are his favorite things. What was my answer? Something simple. I said, "Why worry about drawing? You are great at other things."

That brings me to the topic of this column. Each of us is special in some way. Sometimes we are artists. Sometimes, musicians. Sometimes, we can do Sudoku puzzles in ink. But, whatever it might be, each of us has a special talent.

I remember a speech I once gave to a graduating class. The topic was "Be the Best of Whatever You Are." The title came from a poem that I had loved as a young girl. Here it is:BE THE BEST OF WHATEVER YOU ARE

By Douglas Malloch

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,

Be a scrub in the valley - but be

The best little scrub by the side of the rill;

Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush, be a bit of the grass

And some highway happier make;

If you can't be a muskie, then just be a bass -

But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains; we've go to be crew,

There's something for all of us here.

There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,

And the task you must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway, then just be a trail,

If you can't be the sun, be a star;

It isn't by size that you win or you fail -

Be the best of whatever you are!

Remember, each of us has our own "best." Be contented in knowing that you are unique. There is no one who is better than you are at being yourself.

(IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT DR. SMITH, SHE CAN BE REACHED AT HER EMAIL ADDRESS: JSMITH798@SC.RR.COM OR IN CARE OF THIS NEWSPAPER.)