Character is determined by what you do on the third and fourth try.

After a long day, one of my favorite people was totally exhausted. She was back to work at a job she had been fired from twice before. Hopeful that this would be her chance to be successful, she anxiously waited for someone she depended on to arrive for an appointment. The objective of these meetings are for setting goals to improve her self-reliance. Goals include physical, spiritual, work, emotional, and financial improvement.

Previously, during these appointments she had a light appear in her countenance that she believed she could accomplish all that she should do and wanted to do. Although she had not found success in her life many times, she still trusts that her day will come. My friend made special arrangements far in advance to be at her meeting. After a nine hour work day, she sat near the door awaiting the arrival of her "mentor." She was ill and exhausted.

The "mentor" never arrived. My friend had wasted her time and efforts. Her chance at attending this meeting to set goals had been taken away. The mentor made a mistake and, without knowing how my friend's day had gone, apologized and felt bad about not showing up. Unfortunately, my friend had counted on the mentor giving her a ride home. Instead, she sat at the bus stop in the wind and rain. In her nicest dress, she sat on the ground and rocked back and forth.

Lesson Learned: Many times, I may unintentionally hurt people around me. So easily, I imagine that if I am not where I am supposed to be it won't make a big difference. The things I do can easily be done by others. When I am a few minutes late, am unprepared, don't offer everything I can, or skip things all together I don't know what I am doing to someone else. Also, I don't know what I am taking away from myself. I hope that through neglecting my own responsibilities I don't leave someone sitting in the cold.

My friend deserves to have her day. She deserves to find all the success there is. She deserves to have hope in her future. Her efforts and desire to change her own life should not be deterred by another person not fulfilling their obligations. I don't want to be a speed bump in someone else's progress. I don't want to be the person who causes another to have a "third or fourth try." Most of all, I hope I can have the faith of my friend to always go for the third or fourth try.