What do we mean when we say life is “okay”?

For me, “okay” is the “norm of life”: what we expect a good, solid life to be. By that logic, I’d consider myself okay. I’ve got a supportive family, I’m perfectly healthy and normal, I’ve got my career planned out, I love to go out to places all the time, et cetra. Life is pretty okay for me; I’m thankful for all of it, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

But I can’t help but feel down inside when I remember that there are tons of others out there who deserve something better, who can’t be “okay.” Others who aren’t widely accepted, who can’t live a normal life, who aren’t in perfect health or perfect shape, who can’t enjoy all the luxuries and little things life has to offer.

And what pains me more is that some of these individuals are kids. Not self-sufficient adults who can take care of themselves, kids--younger, more vulnerable people who have just begun to live and have so much going for them.

Let me tell you a story about a good kid named Jose. He was born with autism and a partial cleft palate. He wasn’t mean-spirited, or ungrateful, or apathetic, he was just a kid who wanted to enjoy life and grow, like all kids do. Unfortunately, Jose wasn’t quite able to live like other kids; he was prone to illness, greatly limiting what activities and leisure he could take part in, and feared that his being different would turn off others around him and cause them to shun him.

If we lived in a perfect world, Jose would have just gotten some miracle treatment, and then everything would be okay. The world isn’t perfect, though, and thus whatever hand life deals us is the one we have to play with--no matter how many trials or tribulations we are dealt. With that being said, I’m an optimist at heart, and I’ve always thought that even if life does deal you a crappy hand at times, it’s never the end of the world. You keep playing the game until you get a better hand and you win. After all, like my mom always says, life never gives you something you can’t handle.

I can happily say that Jose did get a better hand.

He and his family came across a place called Camp Boggy Creek, which is up in Eustis, Florida. Now, this is no ordinary camp, just as Jose is no ordinary boy. Boggy Creek, his family came to learn, was a place where medically-experienced counselors and staff could help him do the things he wanted to do. He got to meet other kids who were different, just like him, and run and laugh and play among them like any kid would. He felt included. Normal. Okay.

In a time where simple values like respect, selflessness, and empathy are so easily compromised, it’s wonderful to know that there’s a place that welcomes kids like Jose with open arms, an open heart, and an open mind. The values that Boggy Creek stands for are noble ones that we should take something away from and employ in our daily lives; they are core values that any decent person ought to have.

So uphold these values. Keep them close to you. Share them, express them, and use them as your compass through life. Be kind, be generous, never forget the fortunes you have, and when you can, help others.

Because everyone deserves to be okay.

Today, anyone and everyone can help Boggy Creek. Just as the camp’s administration and counselors help children across all Florida communities, we can give back to the camp so that their efforts may be continued. To donate to Camp Boggy Creek, follow this link.Any donations you or someone you know can make are extremely helpful!