"It Just Means so Much"

"I just said, 'Lord, if You get me through today...(pause) it just means so much."

These are the words of Plaxico Burress, just moments after he won the NFL's Super Bowl XXII with his New York Giants football team, victors against the New England Patriots, who were on pace to be the first teams to go perfect with a 19-0 records.

He said those 15 words and he, and I, were moved to tears.

Burress spoke those words after being briefly interviewed on how his team won the game on that Sunday, February 03, 2008, and how he had struggled with his physical health for months going into the championship game. He was candid, he was honest, and he was emotionally overcome by his victory.

For me, I looked at the television screen and could see myself in his words. We all have had moments where we were going through something that we felt was bigger than ourselves. We've been debilitated, maybe physically, emotionally, mentally or economically. We've had to rise from our beds to do something that we know was drudgingly taxing to our well-being in some way. Just the same, I'm sure that we have been able to see whatever obstacles that were in our end be moved to reveal our end result in some form of victory.

Those last 12 words, in no form of great detail, revealed the humanity of a hopeful, faithful human being, who himself struggled with others, who perceived Burress to be a selfish, ignorant prima donna for better part of 10 years, before becoming a champion on that Sunday.

But because of those words, I want to say thank you to Plaxico Burress.

Plaxico, thank you for being tough. Thank you for not being afraid to be you. Thank you for giving God the glory, just as you said you'd do if He was able to bring you through the game. Thank you for giving the world an opportunity to see your faith on the largest stage in America. Thank you for being humble and keeping a hold onto your goals. Thank you for saying that you "don't have to be afraid to dream," a week prior to your victory. But most of all, thank you for showing that being courageous in your dreams can grant you the success of a lifetime.

I'm not afraid to dream, and seeing you show your heartfelt thoughts...it just means so much.