Saturday, August 28, 2010

Trust Gratitude Inspiration Friday #7

Today I am trusting that I will find my way to discover what I am supposed to do next in my career.

Today I am grateful for the unflinching support my wife has provided during this time of transistion.

Today I am inspired by the relentless efforts of the Rocky Mountain Chapter in their efforts to find a cure for blood cancers.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Gratitude

                                                     Kelly Rocks the Rockies!!!

As we arrived at the LLS Board retreat yesterday we were instructed to choose a word tile that reasonated with us and to not reveal our word until the end of the meeting.

I had taken one of my favorite Kelly pictures to the meeting as I wanted the new members of the board to be able to associate her face with her name.

At the beginning of the meeting, I spoke about how I had become involved with LLS back in 1999 and why I was still involved.

I was connected to Kelly through the Team in Training program.   I have crossed the finish line of  17 Team in Training events for Kelly, the last two events I have completed since her passing in March, 2008.

I am doing this to honor her life, keep her memory alive.  She is my hero.

At the end of the meeting we were all asked to reveal our word choices.

Elly had chosen relentless.  Elly has been on the board for five years. She talked passionately about being relentless for a cure.  There are still too many Kelly's and Laiken's, and Melina's.  We can't lose any more people to cancer...

As I waited for my turn to speak, I could feel the emotion welling up inside me.  I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get through this and not fall apart.

My turn came.

The word I had chosen was gratitude.

I am so grateful for Kelly's life.   Her life is such a gift to me and I will forever be grateful for all she gave me.

Kelly was more than my team hero.

She was my friend.  She was my mentor, a role model.

Kelly was given up for dead at the age of 12.  3 months to live.

Don and Patty were told they could try and treat Kelly with an experimental protocol that included Arsenic(Rat poison).   They opted against that treatment and prepared to lose Kelly in a very short period of time.

Because there were others that came before me that were relentless, new treatment protocols were being developed.

A young college student at the University of Notre Dame signed up for the bone marrow registry in support of a classmate that needed a transplant.

Ground breaking research was ongoing, funded by programs like Team in Training and Light the Night.


One year later, Kelly received a mini stem cell transplant.  This protocol was not available one year earier.

Emily became Kelly's donor and we all received the greatest gift of all. 

More time with Kelly.

Kelly had a remission period that lasted almost 5 years.

I got to see Adam and Kelly walk down the runway of her high school during prom weekend of her junior year.

I got to watch Kelly walk with her classmates and graduate from high school.

I got to watch Emily and Kelly meet for the first time in February 2008.

Every moment, every memory, priceless.

Kelly chose her life.  She chose her cancer.

Kelly lived her life joyfully.

Her life was a gift to me.

Knowing Kelly changed my life.

Yes, my word is gratitude.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Rushing and missing the moment

As I was leaving the office for my final time last month, two of  my friends walked me out to my car to say goodbye.

We hugged one another for the last time and one of my friends gave me a gift.

Rushed through the moment.

My friend told me that she loved me.

I should have stopped to really take that in and celebrate her gift.

She truly has been a good friend.

She has had my back at work for 15 years.

Someone that I really admire and respect. 

Someone I could talk to about anything.

She was one of the first people I talked to at work the day Kelly died, fell in her arms and cried.

Bummer.  I missed it.

I can't have that moment back.

I will be sure and really thank her the next time I see her.  Tell her how much her words touched me.

I hope the next time I get a gift like this I stop and savor it and really be present to the moment.

How do you  respond when someone tells you that you are loved, that you are special?

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Bonded by Love

I registered my Light the Night team yesterday.

Please click here to if you would like do donate or even better, join the team and come walk with me as we fill the night with Light and Love for Kelly and Laiken.

There is a scene from Titanic where Rose tells Jack Dawson that when the ship docks that she is going to get off the ship with him.

Jack says, "this is crazy.  Rose replies, "Yes.  It doesn't make any sense.  That is why I trust it.

I am standing in my love for Kelly and Laiken and trusting that this is what I am supposed to be doing.

Please join me in standing for Kelly and Laiken, making a difference in this fight against cancer.

Smile on pretty girls!