A while ago a friend told me about an encounter his son had at school. He was eating his lunch and minding his own business when another boy approached him. A boy with a well-earned reputation for violence.
As my friend's son braced himself, the other boy quietly sat beside him. It turned out he was after some advice.
"All my family and friends are telling me I should join the gang. But I'm not sure that's the best thing for me. I know that you make pretty good decisions when you're playing rugby so I thought I'd ask you what you think?" (Maybe not said as succinctly as that - but that was the gist of it.)
My friend's son told him he had to decide between violence, dysfunction and prison - or a life different to that he had grown up with. The fact the question was asked revealed that boy yearned for something better, but was unsure if it were possible. You could say he was looking for hope; and some better options.
Some people have a better start in life than others, for various reasons. But it doesn't matter who you are, life will throw tough stuff at you. The test is how you respond. Dr Viktor Frankl thought about this when he found himself in a Nazi death camp. He concluded that no matter how bad things are, no matter what is taken away from you - no one can take away your ability to choose how you will respond to what life sends your way.
