Columnist Jill Richardson makes a good point on this page today. She confronts the myth that it’s guaranteed if you work hard you will be a success.

Her thesis in this commentary is that some people are going to need help with health care even though they are working on a job or even two jobs.

If we are honest with ourselves, many of us know people who have really struggled just to survive even though they have worked hard all their lives. Yes some have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, to coin an old phrase. But to suggest hard work guarantees success is indeed a myth.

As well, we know some people who were “born on third base and thought they hit a triple.” Their view of life may require factoring in an overall analysis on this subject.

This is not to say that hard work should not be pursued. Indeed it should. Compassion does not mean condoning laziness. A helping hand has always been considered a noble gesture.