You can make a difference! Many of you know who you are, and yet would humbly not refer to yourselves as such. You are the ones who can mean—literally—the difference between life and death to someone.

You will know someone is a lifeguard because that person will leave a mark on your heart; one that makes you want to walk alongside of him or her for a while longer, perhaps to the end of your bridge and beyond. Someone told Christine long ago that she should have three constant people in her life: (1) someone a few steps behind, (2) someone a few steps ahead, and (3) someone walking alongside. We all need someone walking beside us on this journey called life.

Lifeguards wear an invisible halo. They have demonstrated that the best type of giving to others is the giving of oneself. In any situation where someone desperately needs understanding and emotional support a lifeguard can challenge him or her to take life on instead of running from it. There is an indescribable inner peace that emanates when helping those who need you most. You wear that badge of honor because you made a choice to live for others and not yourself. The end result is that others live because of your own personal investment and sacrifice of time, energy, and compassion. Sometimes it is difficult to be the one who has to stay strongest the longest, but the payoff is greater than you could ever imagine.

Lifeguards, you are human; when you feel you are losing your drive, take time to get refreshed and reenergized. Just as flight attendants show you how to put on your oxygen mask, they also make it clear that you need to put on your mask before assisting others with theirs. This allows you to have the most impact on others needing rescue. You are treasured for your diligence, your loyalty to being there for others, and your strength in upholding others who are barely hanging on.