Finding Hope in Rejection

Last week on the Dolly McCarthy Show, my "Good Inspirations" segment was about coping with rejection. As I spent the few days before the show thinking about what I would discuss, I was reminded of an incident in my life that had a profound effect on who I am today.

In sixth grade, the girls I had gone to elementary school with and lived in my neighborhood decided not to be my friend anymore. We were in junior high and I found myself looking for friends because I had none. One friend I made moved shortly after that to Arizona although we wrote letters for many years and now we're connected on Facebook. I also joined the park district track program that summer.

While I didn't know it at the time, I had a choice: sink or swim.