News Postings is our version of a BLOG and will address topics under multiple categories including: Reflections, News, Events, Christopherisms and others we may add in the future. These categories are intended to give you a glimpse into our life as we deal with the diagnosis of ALS. We invite you to click on comments and give your feedback which will appear on the site. The comments you make may spark further discussion and are greatly encouraged. If you don't want your comment public, just send us an email instead. Thank you for being here!
Today is probably the first day back to work for many of you and I wanted to give some food for thought to be used over the course of this New Year that we have been granted. I’m reminded of a story I told at one of our MDA/ALS Gala’s about the Mayonnaise Jar. My version goes like this:
On the first day of Philosophy 101, the freshmen sat eagerly to begin their college careers. The professor patiently waited for everyone to get settled. Once the attention was properly focused on the lesson for the day, he began. From under the counter he produced a large mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls to the brim.
He asked the class if the jar was full and with obvious results, they answered yes. He reached under the counter again and produced a significant amount of pebbles. Carefully, allowing the gravel to filter into the voids in the golf balls, he filled the jar to the top of the threads and then asked again if the jar was full. The curious class responded with a resounding, “Yes!”
Our clever professor reached under the counter yet again and produced a bag of sand. He carefully added this to the jar, shaking every once in a while to settle the sand between the voids of pebbles. The sand spilled over the top and he asked the class one last time if the jar is finally full. The professor paused, allowing the class to ponder. Not seeing how anything else could possibly fit between the sand, the class unanimously nodded their heads in agreement.
Finally, and ever so slowly, the professor presented two wine glasses, filled with an obvious red colored liquid. Very simply, he added the contents of both glasses to this mayonnaise jar filled with golf balls, pebbles and sand. Of course, the fluid ran easily between the sand as the glasses were emptied. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are important things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff."
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that have the most meaning. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your significant other or friend out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a glass of wine with a friend."
The beginning of the year always seems the time for resolutions. Resolutions seem somewhat temporary to me. I challenge you, our readers, to make this year count for the priorities of life. Make this the year that the Mayonaise Jar is filled in the proper order…so it all fits.
This will be an exciting year for me as I approach my five year anniversary of my ALS diagnoses. Not to jinx myself, but I will officially pass into the top 20% of survival for ALS patients on March 15th. Now, I haven’t been in the top 20% of much, but survival is definitely one that I am utterly grateful for. There still may be a bus out there with my name on it, and I’m still ready for that, should it happen. I’m just at peace with it all and it allows me to put the golf balls in first.
Because of my longevity, it has allowed Jennifer and I many wonderful experiences through the Muscular Dystrophy Association, ALS Association and Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. These experiences have prepared us for the journey mentioned at the end of last year. Our new Denver Chapter of Extra Hands for ALS is in full swing with a new CEO, Mickey Kesselman and COO, Jim Presbey on board to take this incredible organization to the next level. Our fearless founder, Jack Orchard, has seen to it that the power of his vision will exceed even his own expectations.
In Denver, we officially have two families with ALS and their volunteers in place. We already have many student and mentor volunteers as well as ALS families signed up eagerly awaiting geographic compatibility. With the second semester of school about to begin, we are still looking for school and civic groups that Jennifer and I can present to for more potential student and adult mentor volunteers. There are literally hundreds of families with ALS in Colorado that we can help. We need to build our team of Extra Hands so when more families sign up for assistance, we can match the teams quickly and efficiently.
Another facet to Extra Hands is fundraising. It’s a tough word to write directly following the holidays but we are intially looking for company sponsorships to fund Denver’s Extra Hands program as well as national research for near term treatments of ALS. Our new CEO, Mickey Kesselman will be in town from January 18th and 19th. He is hoping to meet some of our volunteers as well as potential grantors to our organization. If you know of a company that might be interested in funding Extra Hands for ALS, please advise us as soon as possible so we can have Mickey join us in presenting our mission. This is not just about helping families with ALS but also developing our future leaders, the student volunteers, by involving them with life lessons that cannot be taught in text books.
Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. We honestly believe they are part of the reason why my progression has remained somewhat slow. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you as well for a healthy, prosperous and happy New Year!
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