Tag: cancer

Write It Down

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

It is your life. It is your story. It is your legacy. Write it down.

Not everyone likes to write or writes well. Yet, when a story is written down, there is a lingering power of influence.

Either write your stories or have someone else write them. I have family photos, WWII photos and a few stories shared over the years from my family regarding my dad. However, the stories written by others provide the most lasting memories of the few short years I spent with him.

The month my dad died the company he worked for printed a story in their monthly newsletter. The article described his struggle with cancer while still working a full day and serving civic and charitable causes.

When he was asked why he kept so busy … he said, “ …. helping others, keeps me alive.”

I have forgotten most words spoken about my dad, but at least once a year I look at a folded newsletter in my sock drawer. It reminds me of his life of service.

His life, his story, his legacy has become my life of service and my story and now my legacy…..because it was written down.

Write it down.

Why?

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

What do you want to leave your kids and their kids? Is it stuff? Is it medals and t-shirts? Or is there something else you want to leave as your legacy. Why are you really doing this? That’s a good question.

Sometimes there are deeper things going on beneath the surface. This was more than a race for me. I was making a statement.

I woke up on October 20th, in Clermont, Florida ready for the day. I ate breakfast, shaved and brushed my teeth, and then out of nowhere I became emotional. I couldn’t believe I actually had an opportunity to pursue this dream.

I had been reflecting. When my father was 54 years old, he died of cancer and I remembered the hands of those who wanted to simply touch his casket at the funeral. Now, at 54, my wife, two daughters and their husbands, and my two sons are about to watch me live to the fullest: their hands and voices cheering me on to completion. When you add the fact that just two years earlier I had a cancerous prostate removed, I was about to embark on a significant achievement for my family and me.

One of my goals as a father has been to influence the lives of my children so that they will have the greatest success. I was flooded with emotion as I realized that I was about to give each of them a lasting memory of what it means to finish well. This was going to be a great day … or two.

My gear was prepared for transition. My wetsuit was on. Although in comparison to the others, my bike looked like an uninvited guest…it didn’t matter. I was at the party, and it was time to dance. I’ve got this!

Your legacy includes more than the things you do. Include the personal motivations that are deep in your soul. Make statements with the things you do and say.

It is your legacy. Let them know why?

(This is part 8 of attempting an endurance triathlon.)