This morning, Reverend Dr. Clay Stauffer told one of his favorite stories:  Although a prize-winning greyhound was still in his prime, he suddenly decided to quit.

   "Why?" his owner asked. "Are you tired out? Do you need better food? Are you injured? Are you afraid of losing? Do I need to pet you more? Do you want more time off?"

  "None of those reasons," the greyhound said. "I'm quitting because I just discovered that the greyhound I was chasing is fake."

   Like any good parable, this one has layers of meanings. The greyhound had been giving his best self to something he discovered was meaningless.

   "It's all about the money," I have heard countless leaders say. 

   They are wrong. Such leaders never bring out the best in others because caregivers are just "units of expense" to them.

   As one top notch nurse told me, "Meaning brings out my best. That means helping others no matter what."

   Obviously, professional caregivers need to be paid. Yet, if a caregiver is only in it for that you are unlikely to experience their best. 

   No amount of money can fill the void created when a caregiver discovers "the rabbit is fake."

-Erie Chapman