President's Page • November 2024
Running the Race With Gratitude
ABOVE: Steve and Jennifer at the
Orange Leaf Half-Marathon in 2012.
Photo courtesy of Steve Benesh.
Over the years, running has been one of the activities that has helped me maintain balance and well-being in the practice of law. In our mid-40’s, my wife, Jennifer, and I were really bitten by the running bug; for a decade, we ran in races every weekend, always on the lookout for a nearby 5K, 10K, or half-marathon. One year, we ran in 60 races. We preferred races in small towns because we could stay at a bed-and- breakfast and make a weekend of it.
One time, we were in Lockhart for a 5K. As we prepared for the start, a dozen or so boys showed up, all wearing shirts bearing the name of a local high school. Asking one of them, I learned that this race was a final qualifying opportunity for the school’s cross- country team; that the boys who finished the race within a certain time would make the team.
The gun sounded, and we were off! On young legs, the boys took off and sprinted on ahead of me. But I was running well that day; in fact, I was on pace to set a “PR,” a new fastest time for a 5K, which would undoubtedly earn me a medal. About halfway through the race, I came up on one of the boys, who was clearly struggling. As I passed him, he slowed to a walk and muttered to himself, “I can’t do this!” Glancing at my running watch, I made a quick decision and circled back to him. I told him, “Hey, if you will just run alongside me, I will keep pace, and we’ll get to that finish line on time.” He nodded and fell in beside me.
The finish line was concealed by a high railroad embankment. But as we rounded the embankment, the finish line came into view 40 yards away. There, the rest of the team awaited. Seeing us, they erupted with shouts of encouragement. The boy glanced up at me, and I told him, “Go get it!” He sprinted to the finish, crossing the line and making the team to a hail of hugs and backslaps. I crossed alone behind him, without a PR or medal. As I headed to the refreshment table, a voice behind me called, “Sir?” I turned, and there stood the boy, with his right hand extended toward me. As I took his hand and shook it, he told me, “Thank you, sir. I wouldn’t have made it without you.” My heart soared. I didn’t win a medal that day, but that moment means more to me than any award I may have received over my decade of racing.
As we celebrate the Thanksgiving season this month, it is important to remember that there is no “season” for giving thanks. Gratitude is a gift we can bestow upon others every day of the year. As William Arthur Ward put it, “Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” So, we should take every opportunity we can to express our thanks and appreciation to our colleagues, co-workers, friends, and family members, who run alongside us in this race of life, making the journey easier.
Beyond that, as attorneys, practicing gratitude can have beneficial effects on our own health and well-being, which can positively impact our legal practices. We all know that the practice of law is frequently stressful, difficult, and demanding. But by taking opportunities to reflect on our blessings and express our appreciation to others, we shift our focus from the negative aspects of our jobs to the positive elements of our practices, which can improve our outlook, enhance our attitudes, reduce our stress, and enrich our job satisfaction.
Finally, I am particularly grateful this month for the Texas
Lawyer’s Creed, which reaches its 35th anniversary on November 7.
I was in my second year of legal practice in 1989 when the Creed was
enacted, the first voluntary code of attorney conduct in the nation to
be approved by a state’s highest court. I remember well the
abuses that the
Creed was intended to curb. And while civility will always be tested,
I believe we are in a much better place as a profession today because
of the standards of professionalism that the Creed has established . .
. and I am grateful for that. As former State Bar of Texas President
Terry Tottenham remarked years ago upon the 25th anniversary of the
Creed, “The highest gratitude we can show the Creed is not to
utter its words, but to live by them.”
STEVE BENESH
President, 2024-2025
State Bar of Texas
