Amazing People

What do you think of when you hear the phrase, “He was an amazing person,” or “she was an amazing woman,” or “the most amazing person in the world is…”?

What makes a person so amazing? Is it their character, their demeanor, their efforts, their heroism, their special talent, or their sacrifice? Is it a combination of these things or is it something more? What is that one thing or combination of things, that makes someone else say, “that person is amazing!”

Now, I think to some degree we can all agree that Mother Theresa was an amazing woman.  Her life of service and love to others was such an example for the world.  She was respected by millions, she lived a life that most of us wouldn’t want to live…but she did it because she stayed true to her calling, and she did it with a humble heart.  But none of us were probably ever fortunate enough to ever know her personally. That doesn’t take away from her amazing qualities, because yes, she definitely had them and it was evidenced by all that she did, but it isn’t something that was ever experienced first hand by most of us.

I think for those I personally know…there are a few people I would consider truly amazing.  Yet, if I had to sit here and tell you why…my words would fail me.  I would simply have to tell you that you’d just have to know that person to fully comprehend why I see them for the amazing person that they are. You would simply have to encounter that person in person to experience their amazing qualities. 

I’ve been blessed. I’ve had the experience of knowing and learning from some truly amazing people.  People that I admire…people that I respect…people that I love.  I’ve been able to learn from these people and take away something from the experience of knowing them that has enriched my life and made it better. These people are truly amazing through and through…and to define their quality with words would be an injustice to the experience of knowing their “amazing” quality through encounter.

So who are some amazing people you know?  What would you say makes that person so amazing?  Do you think words can do “justice” in defining those amazing qualities…or is experience necessary to complete the picture?