When I was just 9 years old, I learned what it truly means to fight forward. It wasn’t a lesson I sought out—it found me in an emergency room on January 17, 1987, a date forever etched in my memory.
That morning changed everything. My warrior mom came into my hospital room, took my hand, and patted my bald head. “I love you,” she said with the kind of strength only a mother facing her child’s mortality could muster.
I remember responding, “Mom, knock it off with the love. Am I going to die?” Her response wasn’t what most would expect. She looked me straight in the eyes and asked, “Do you want to?”
Those four words shifted something inside me. They weren’t cruel—they were a challenge. My mother wasn’t going to let me slip away without a fight, and she needed to know I wasn’t going to let myself slip away either.
The Choice to Fight
What my mother taught me that day was that even in our darkest moments, we have a choice. We can surrender to circumstances, or we can choose to fight forward. At nine years old, I didn’t know the odds stacked against me. I didn’t understand that medical professionals had likely given up hope. All I knew was that I had been given a choice, and I chose life.
“No, mom. I don’t want to die,” I told her.
Her response became my life’s mantra: “Good. Then take the hand of God. Walk the journey with him. But listen, you fight like you never fought before.”
She promised, “Dad and I will be with you. We’re not leaving you, but do your part and fight.”
Lessons From the Battlefield
Looking back, I realize my mother’s approach taught me several crucial lessons about facing seemingly impossible challenges:
- Acknowledge reality – She didn’t sugarcoat my situation or offer false hope
- Provide a choice – Even in dire circumstances, she gave me agency
- Offer partnership – She assured me I wouldn’t fight alone
- Demand commitment – She made it clear that my effort was essential
These principles apply far beyond medical crises. When we face professional setbacks, relationship struggles, or personal failures, the same approach can guide us through.
The Partnership Principle
My mother’s promise that she and my father would stay with me highlights an important truth: fighting forward doesn’t mean fighting alone. She recognized that human connection and divine guidance were both essential parts of the journey.
“Take the hand of God. Walk the journey with him,” she said. This wasn’t just religious talk—it was a recognition that we need something bigger than ourselves to face life’s biggest challenges.
I’ve seen this play out countless times in my work with organizations and individuals. Those who successfully navigate crises rarely do it in isolation. They reach out for support, they lean on their faith or values, and they accept help from those willing to stand beside them.
The Fight Continues
That morning in the emergency room, a 9-year-old kid who doctors had given no chance of surviving made a choice to fight. I took the hand of God, walked the journey with him, and fought with everything I had.
The fact that I’m here to share this story tells you something about the outcome. But the victory wasn’t just in survival—it was in discovering the power of choice, commitment, and connection in the face of overwhelming odds.
When life knocks you down and the prognosis looks grim, remember that you have the same choice I had. You can surrender to circumstances, or you can fight forward. And if you choose to fight, know that you don’t have to do it alone.
Take the hand of those who love you. Walk the journey with your faith. And fight like you’ve never fought before.
