"The
secret of living a long life is to sprinkle a little gunpowder on your oatmeal
every morning," the grizzled man replied.
The grandson
did this religiously and he lived to the age of 93. When he died, he left 14
children, 28 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren and a fifteen foot hole in
the wall of the crematorium.
He definitely
went out with a bang. But personally, I would rather remember somebody for how
beautifully she lived her life than how spectacularly she left it. And I would
definitely prefer she leave a hole in my heart, if necessary, than a hole in
the crematorium.
Besides, it
has never been about how long we will last, but about how well we will live. I
like what Queen Margarethe II of Denmark once said: “I have always had a dread
of becoming a passenger in life.” I, too, want more from my life than to simply
go along for the ride. I want to live well. I want my life to count for
something. I want it to be full and worthwhile.
Dave
Dravecky, former pitcher for the San Francisco Giants baseball team, learned a
lesson about living fully and well.
Dave enjoyed
an outstanding sports career until the day he was diagnosed with soft tissue
cancer in his left arm. The disease ended his professional baseball career.
After various treatments failed to stop the growth, doctors advised Dave to
have his arm amputated.
Some people
may feel that a diagnosis of cancer, the loss of a career and the amputation of
a limb may as well be a death sentence. Of course, many survivors know better.
Dave, too, learned that his life was far from over.
When his
little daughter Tiffany first saw her father after surgery, she went straight
to him and hugged him long and hard. Then she smiled and announced that she was
happy his left arm was gone. She explained that over the last few weeks, the
arm had caused her father so much pain that he hadn't been able to hug her.
With the arm out of the way, they would be close again.
Dave
Dravecky will never be the baseball star he had hoped to become. He lost his
arm and may always wonder if cancer will return. Maybe he will still live a
long life, but regardless of how long Dave lives, it matters far more how well
he lives.
He only has
to hug Tiffany close, very close, to be reminded what a full life is all about.-- Steve Goodier
Share this on FaceBook and Twitter / Read more / Post a comment