"This was wonderful work, but I need to say, I am most impressed with your perseverance. I know you had some challenges through all of this, but you just never gave up."

This week my son, Jon, defended his dissertation (successfully) and earned his PHD. I just couldn't be happier for him. But what touched my heart most, was reflected in the comment quoted above, made by a professor on his committee that day, because thirty years ago Jon was a little boy who couldn't read. (As he says, I have told everyone in the country this story:)

But it is true. Preschool went relatively smoothly. His teacher said he was on target except maybe his cutting skills were a little weak... no problem, I thought, so he won't be a hairdresser. In my "mom perception" he was simply a delightful child.

But wiser educators saw something that was more complicated in his learning style. As we came to understand that, we changed schools, got tutoring, and spent a lot of time those early years learning how he learned. By middle school he was on track. What I remember, though I don't think he does, are the many hours spent drilling vocabulary, inventing word games and reading. And I remember very clearly saying to him, "You can do anything anyone else can, you will just have to work a little harder." This week I heard that echoed in, "You never gave up..."

I think that is the virtue of perseverance, also known as grit.

"Grit," Angela Lee Duckworth says is, "passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint."

Grit, perseverance, whatever you call it, is to make the choice everyday not to give up. And not giving up creates our character and shapes our soul, and that means more than any achievement we may accomplish.