10-31-08

Life is not always easy. In fact, at times it can be downright hard. As James Taylor put it so eloquently, “Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning...” Last year was such a year for me. So many things became quite the challenge. At times, everything felt as though they were compounding beyond my breaking point.

Yet another funny thing about Life is that when things seem not to be working out, opportunities arise. People come into our lives and, if we are receptive to their insights and perspectives, they can offer relief to some of the difficulties we face.

This is pretty much what happened with me. Shirley Lau came over one night and somehow, during the course of our conversation, she talked about dragon boating. Shirley spoke so highly of her team . . . how the members are supportive, mature, easy-going and overall wonderful people. Just listening to her rave about her teammates was already a huge draw. She invited me to attend the team’s fun paddle. I honestly couldn’t join soon enough after that. Meeting the kind members of the Healers who welcomed me with their warm smiles and unending patience was a treasure. Beyond that, focusing on that common goal of perfecting each stroke and timing within the boat gave me an easy escape from dwelling on all the troubles weighing on me. Even more, having the chance to have the full- body workout brought added release from the stresses of each day. In essence, the Dragon Healers lived up to their name.

Kathy Britt told me that the people on this team are special – that they are family. Everyone cares and looks out for one another. She gave me example after example of various situations when people shared their love and grace with each other. It’s the people who make a team and on this team everyone has been wonderful to me through their welcoming smiles, jokes, encouragement and explicit tips on improvement.

At the end of the day, the fact is we all have our haunts. "When you're struggling with something, look at all the people around you and realize that every single person you see is struggling with something, and to them, it's just as hard as what you're going through." (Nicholas Sparks) Being on this team, the Dragon Healers prove to be much more than a group of people paddling together to win races. It’s a group of special people who genuinely care a whole lot about others.

Paddling with the Healers has helped me keep my troubles in perspective. Although it may not be apparent, I’m still working on my stroke and my timing and all the many components that make dragon boat an art. What makes being part of this team rewarding and meaningful are the people, all the people that I am lucky enough to call “my teammates,” and hopefully, one day, “friends.”

-Victor Tam