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She was an unlikely candidate to carry the famed Olympic torch. Instead of running, 88 year old Osceola McCarty, walked – slowed by advanced arthritis. There was a motorcycle policeman on either side, there to support the torch she was holding her hand under when she became too tired to hold it aloft herself. The crowds cheered while she smiled and beamed..

Osceola never dreamed such an honor would be hers. She didn’t dream of any of the honors heaped on her in the years after… But wait - I’m getting ahead of myself…

Osceola McCarty had dreams of being a nurse when she was a little girl growing up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Her dreams were laid aside when family needs forced her to leave school at 13 and join her grandmother, mother and aunt beside the washing pot in the back yard.

That big black kettle, boiling away under the relentless Mississippi sun, pelting rain, or cold winds, became her existence. You could find her, from early in the morning until late in the evening, either washing clothes or stooped over a hot iron as she crisped them up. At some point she became content with her life. She loved her work but she thought a lot about what education would have meant to her if she could have stayed in school.

Osceola buried her grandmother, then her mother, then her aunt. And she kept right on washing and ironing. 75 years worth. She lived alone. She walked everywhere she went. She didn’t talk much because there was no one to talk to. She pretty much just worked. With the exception of the trip she made to the bank every month to put money away for her future. In 87 years she had only been out of Mississippi once.

So how did this elderly black woman end up carrying the Olympic torch?

Well, it all began the day she made her monthly trip to the bank. She had decided to retire because the arthritis in her hands had gotten so bad. The bank officers suggested she should make plans about what she was going to do with all her money. All her money? Yes. 75 years of savings, of putting away small amounts of money, had grown to more than $200,000!

Osceola knew she wasn’t going to live forever. After some thought, Osceola decided that upon her death she would give 10% to the church, 10% each to 3 cousins, and the rest, $150,000, to the University of Southern Mississippi right there in Hattiesburg.

"I just want the scholarship to go to some child who needs it, to whoever is not able to help their children," Osceola said. "I'm too old to get an education, but they can."

She never dreamed of the uproar her gift would cause. Nor the honors that would be heaped on her – meeting President Clinton; numerous awards; an honorary doctorate from Harvard University; the keys to cities; travel all over America; and so much more.

Osceola simply wanted what she had worked so hard for all her life to make a difference for others. Her philosophies of life were simple and powerful.

On work: "I knew there were people who didn't have to work as hard as I did, but it didn't make me feel sad. I loved to work, and when you love to do anything, those things don't bother you."

On saving money: "A smart person plans for the future. You never know what kind of emergency will come up, and you can't rely on the government to meet all your needs. You have to take responsibility for yourself."

You see, success means different things to different people. Success to Osceola meant working hard, saving her money, and then in the end – making a difference to others. She never had much as far as material things but when she died in 1999 at the age of 91, she was rich beyond belief in all the things that truly mattered.

How do you define success? Too many people never answer that question for themselves. They let the world define success for them, and then wonder why they are dissatisfied with the results of their life. Take some time and discover the answer for YOUR life.

Here’s one more of Osceola’s beliefs:

On good living: "There's a lot of talk about self-esteem these days. It seems pretty basic to me. If you want to feel proud of yourself, you've got to do things you can be proud of. Feelings follow actions."

Have a wonderful day!

Rex


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