He tried

I buried my grandfather yesterday. He had "he tried" etched on his gravestone a few years back. That was sort of his motto. He struggled with depression, alcohol, and numerous other demons. He felt that he was always taking more than he could give. He wanted the world to know that he tried his best. Last night I was at the Catholic Worker and met a man who had alcohol on his breath and was crying. He said that he has been on the streets for two years and is trying to get himself out of the mess that he has gotten himself into. He doesn't want to fall back on his siblings again. I didn't get the details, but I just listened with my hand on his shoulder as he expressed his frustration with himself. Finally he broke down and said, "I try." As the tears rolled down my face, I looked at him and thought, "and that is a lot."