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Sunday, August 31, 2008
Frost in August I was just thinking how nice it was to be up early on a weekend morning when one had the choice of sleeping in (it's harder to get up early Mon-Fri because I have to).
I put the teapot on to boil, and was going through the ritual of opening window shades to let in the morning sun ... and was surprised to discover frost on the top of Gary's truck. Sure enough, the thermometer says it's 30 degrees at the moment. In August.
Of course September will be here in less than 24 hours. I don't know about you, but our September is filling up rather quickly. We're spending a week at the coast to celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary and Gary's birthday (same day, don't ask); we're scheduled for three tag-team presentations - Portland, Salem and Eugene; we're climbing to the top of Mt. Bachelor; and we have a September deadline to get my book to press. More about that later.
Gotta run ... the teapot is whistling!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Reading list
Father Tim and all the other delightful, zany, down-to-earth characters in the Mitford books are people you might be friends with in real life. Even though it’s a fictional series – mostly just easy reading and pure enjoyment – it's full of truth and I've learned from it. Father Tim often makes reference to “the prayer that never fails”, which happens to be a prayer that Christ prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Thy will be done.”
Donald Miller, the author of Blue Like Jazz, is a rebel against religion and televangelist preachers and anything that smacks of phoniness. Come to think of it, so am I. He writes about a friend of his:
I love to read. And I love learning new things and having my old way of thinking challenged. A good book – fiction or otherwise – does that.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Soaring Spirits We got home a couple hours ago from a weekend in the mountains at Suttle Lake. It was the annual cancer survivor family camp, and we had a record number of attendees this year – the oldest near 80 and the youngest camper a 3½-week-old baby (not to mention 3 expectant mothers!).
We love this camp. We attended as guests two years ago. Quite by accident, we came across an article about Soaring Spirits and said, “Hey, let’s go.” And that was the beginning of getting plugged into our local cancer community. From there, we learned about the DEFEAT Cancer program, got involved and did some volunteer work. And then I was hired on as part of the Cancer Services staff at St. Charles Medical Center a little over a year ago.
One of the highlights of this year’s camp was the Candlelighter families. Candlelighters is an arm of the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society that reaches out to families that have children with cancer. They advertised our camp in their state-wide newsletter and 5-6 Candlelighter families attended as a result.
I loved making new friends – putting a face with a name I had spoken to over the phone or via email. I loved seeing groups of people connecting with each other around the dining room tables long after the meal was over.
As closure to camp, we planted a memorial pine tree this morning, and we were reminded by our guest chaplain that life is short and ought to be lived well. Funny, but that’s exactly what we saw two years ago when we attended Soaring Spirits for the first time and got involved in the DEFEAT Cancer program. We said, "Wow, these people are going about the business of living, and not dying.” I can’t think of a better compliment for our cancer community friends.
(Watch local newscast of this event.)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Checking in with the good doctor
… from this point to the next to the next, all headed in the wrong direction.
But after meeting with our good doctor, we were both encouraged. Dr. E seemed matter of fact that we should expect the count to fluctuate from time to time. Gary will have another PSA test in one month. If the number is still moving upward, he will be taken off the oral hormone drug. And we won't think past that point until we get to that point.
I don’t necessarily like living from PSA count to PSA count to know what direction our journey will take next, but there aren’t any guarantees for anyone – cancer patient or otherwise. And so cancer serves as a good reminder to continue enjoying life, not taking anything for granted.
P.S. At our last appointment in April, Dr. E asked if Gary had any complaints … and since he didn’t, I spoke up because I wanted to get our money’s worth. My complaint was that there weren’t enough women’s magazines in the waiting room.
I’m happy to report that I noticed several women’s magazines at the urology institute yesterday. I pointed this out to Dr. E and he said, “Someone must have complained.” J
Friday, August 08, 2008
9:30am rock band Gary and I recently attended a Cancer Summit in the big city. We stopped at a Starbucks near the Convention Center for a Chai tea (we over-anticipated the traffic and were wayyy too early).
After reading the Portland Oregonian, we headed north on the one-way street leading away from Starbucks, turned west on a one-way street following our MapQuest instructions, and went a few blocks before realizing we were leaving the Convention Center behind. But – because some brilliant city planner put one-way streets all around the Convention Center just to irritate out-of-towners – we couldn’t turn around.
We eventually found our way back and parked. “Hey, isn’t that the Starbucks we were just at?!” The coffee shop's back parking lot was directly across the street from the entrance to the Convention Center.
Like at every conference, there were some really great speakers … and then there were the presenters who read their PowerPoint messages off the overhead screen, as if we can’t read.
We made some good contacts and new friends. A young woman on staff at a cancer center near Seattle, herself a breast cancer survivor, asked if she could sit with us. We chatted as if we had known each other for some time. Cancer does that to you.
Wideawake, a band from Austin, Texas, performed at 9:30 in the morning. (I bet you don’t go to too many conferences where the 9:30am guests are an award-winning rock band!) They actually have a really cool song written by Scott Leger, their lead singer:
Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow,
We'll win this fight and bury this sorrow. Not ready to die, so we LIVESTRONG.
Sitting in the large conference room, we felt like we belonged on the “cancer circuit” … as if someday we will be the presenters and not the presentees. And when that happens, we promise not to read our message off overhead PowerPoint slides!
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Lingering With a heavy heart I said good-by to Summer and the grandkidlets yesterday morning and then trudged off to work. The two weeks with them was perfect. I am a doer by nature—checking projects off my to-do list gives a certain amount of pleasure—but I am learning to be present in the moment and value that which is most valuable (people). I checked very little off my to-do list in the past two weeks, but had the most delightful time with family.
Gary and I lingered over deli sandwiches last night, enjoying the warm sun at our favorite café along the river. Lingering is good. Gary’s usually in a male mode – here’s something we need to do (eat dinner); OK, that’s done … what’s next. But part of the fun of going out on a date is to hang out and talk – tell me about your day, brainstorm with me about how we’re going to see our children and grands more often.
each other’s company and God’s gorgeous Central Oregon landscaping. Lingering. Try it … you might like it!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
They don’t call them grand for nothing There are only three days left in our 2-week visit with our daughter and the grands. And - sad day - today's my last day off. I head back to the office tomorrow.
Lilly and I painted each other’s toe nails and she helped me try a new recipe for dinner one night – Chicken Rice Bowls. We brought a dozen books home from the library and we baked granola.
We've had fun making Lydia laugh, kissing her chubby cheeks, and rocking her to sleep. We've piled pillows on the living room floor, popped corn and watched repeat DVDs, laughing at the same silly places each time.
Our house is carpeted with blankets, pillows, stuffed animals and toys. But to this grandma – whose grandkids live halfway around the world in New Jersey – it is the most beautiful home interior décor in the world!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Mickey Mouse pancakes Can't talk now 'cuz the grandkidlets are here! I have the day off. This morning for breakfast we made Mickey Mouse pancakes with blueberry eyes and a cantaloupe mouth.
This is way too much fun! More grandkid updates later!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Survivorship is all the rage
After the event, Gary and I hopped in the car and made a quick trip to Portland to pick up our daughter, Summer, and the grandkidlets -- 7-year-old Lilly, 5-year-old Titus, and 2-month old Lydia. (Don’t ask why, but Gary has called them “George” for as long as I can remember. When Titus got off the plane, the first thing he said to his grandpa was, “Hi, George!”)
Gary finally got to meet Lydia – she’s at that age where funny noises from grandfathers produce smiles – and we’re absolutely enjoying having them here!
Survivorship thoughts: at Tour des Chutes, there were cancer survivors who finished in almost all the distances, including the 100-mile course. I love that. I love knowing that cancer doesn’t necessarily have to be a death sentence; it can be a manageable chronic disease. It’s been 3½ years since Gary’s diagnosis and I’m so grateful that he’s still here to tease his grandchildren.
Matthew Zachary, founder of I'm Too Young For This, puts it rather eloquently: “Survivorship is all the rage. Stupid Cancer. Survivors rule.”
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Follow your dreams The envelope was stamped in Portland but had no return address. Inside was a note that read, “Follow your dreams.” And tucked in the folds of the note were ten crisp $20 bills.
What an incredible gift – that someone out there believes in our dreams enough to invest in them. We are humbled and grateful all at the same time.
The money will go into our fund for self-publishing a book about cancer heroes. Since last fall, I’ve interviewed between 25-30 survivors and caregivers from across the country that have done something purposeful as a result of cancer having touched their lives. The stories are all written; I’m collecting photos from everyone; and I’ve secured a graphic artist to design the front and back covers. This out-of-the-blue $200 will help pay for the printing.
It’s not the first time we’ve been given a totally unexpected gift. I can’t tell you how much it means to have family and friends believe in our impossible dreams of writing a book, of being out on the road with our cancer message, of building a retreat center some day.
We should all be so lucky as to imagine doing something impossible. And we should all be so lucky as to have other people in our lives who believe in the possibility of our dreams.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Birthday weekend My birthday weekend is drawing to a close. (A birthday weekend is when the birthday girl gets to dictate all the fun activities for the weekend. Wait a minute ... I do that every weekend.)
Our plans for Friday night included dinner out, a walk along the river, and a Barnes & Noble shopping spree (one can never have too many books) ... and on Saturday, my actual birthday, we were going to dig out the office and transform it into a guest room in anticipation of our daughter and grandkids coming for a visit.
But Gary tweaked his neck on Friday – we’re talking a “pain reliever, heating pad, lying on the couch” sort-of tweaking. So I talked him into take-out dinner in, which meant we had to extend the birthday celebration, which led to the idea of a full weekend of doing whatever I wanted!
Gary's neck greatly improved by Saturday morning, so he took me out to breakfast and shopping for books. Then he started digging through office file cabinets while I hooked up the web cam and talked with the grandkids. Five-year-old Titus and I played several games – Checkers, Tic-Tac-Toe, Uno – via the New Jersey/Oregon connection while I sorted through old pay stubs and utility bills (what were we thinking by saving all this stuff?!).
Gary made breakfast this morning and we walked one of the trails close to town this afternoon. The little office is now officially a guest room ... and now that the dust has settled, I'd have to say it has been the perfect birthday weekend!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Only in America Gary had to work yesterday, but in the late afternoon we went to the home of some friends who have 30 acres just east of town with mountain views, a large pond for swimming and boating, a volleyball net set up on a beautifully landscaped yard, and a fire pit for late evening conversations. They had invited several couples for a potluck picnic and to watch the fireworks that the City of Bend shoots off from the top of Pilot Butte, a small mountain that someone planted in the middle of our town.
I didn’t attend yesterday’s 4th of July pet parade this year. I had no grandchildren to take and it just wouldn’t be the same without them. Yes, you heard me right. Bend hosts an annual parade where everyone and their dog … or cat … or llama walks down the main street of town waving to their friends, pulling wagons that are filled with little kids holding hamster cages and bunny rabbits. No entry fees. Just show up with your live – or stuffed – animal.
Friends, fireworks, pet parades and helium-powered lawn chairs. Don’t you love this great country?!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Unrelated goose story Gary has a reputation with our grandchildren of being a tease. Half the time when he tells them something, they’ll look at me with a smile and say, “Nuh-uh!”
I remember an interchange between Gary and our granddaughter, Lilly, who was four years old at the time. She had spotted some geese coming in for a landing and said rather excitedly, “Look, geese. Gooses!”
Gary tried to explain that one goose was “goose” and more than one was “geese.” But Lilly just looked at me and smiled, shaking her head and said, “Nuh-uh ... silly Grandpa!”
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Geese OK … this is a stretch but work with me. I recently read a quote by Oswald Chambers – “Your reach must exceed your grasp” – and thought about how Gary and I have several dreams that we’re working toward that seem way beyond our grasp … but we’re simple enough to believe that if they’re God-inspired, then they’ll happen.
So … what do geese and “exceeding our grasp” have in common? It’s the sound of geese that brings to mind road trips and adventure … and what Gary and I dream of doing involves road trips and adventure. We want to take our tag-team presentation on the road … and get our collection of cancer hero stories published … and eventually have a place in the country with snow-capped mountain views and hiking trails where people can come and be refreshed and catch a vision of purposeful things they can do with the rest of their lives. A place where geese will honk overhead.
Every time I hear that beautiful, melancholy sound, my spirits are lifted and I’m reminded that anything is possible, that the sky’s the limit.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Road trip Gary and I got home today from a busy 4-day weekend. We were in Idaho to see his family and to meet with the Cancer Services staff at St. Alphonsus Medical Center (fondly referred to as St. Al’s). We also had an invitation to speak to a group of survivors in Burns, Oregon on our way home.
We drove down into Boise on Sunday to stay with Gary’s mom. She reminisced about her childhood – growing up as one of nine children on a farm in northeastern Arkansas. She met her husband-to-be, Jack, when he came to Arkansas to help move his family out West. Not too long afterward he proposed in a letter. She told him she wasn’t sure … but he showed up to marry her anyway. They were happily married with five children until Jack died way too young of a heart attack.
St. Al's. Gary and I had a Monday afternoon appointment at St. Al’s Cancer Treatment Center. We met with three of their staff members – a chaplain, social worker and cancer care guide. They were very warm and personable, the kind of people you’d like to have on your team if you were ever told you had cancer. We ran through our presentation, answered their questions, and were invited to return in the fall to present to their survivor group.
Harney District. The original reason for this trip was an invitation to speak to a group of cancer survivors at Harney District Hospital in Burns. Eastern Oregon is a vast, high desert region considered by some to be the nation’s last frontier. We have come to appreciate the beauty and hardiness of this farm and ranch country and the group of cancer survivors we met last night – along with Tammy, their leader – mirror that beauty and tenacity.
We love road trips … and we love sharing our story if it will encourage other survivors to get plugged in and become proactive in battling cancer. Here’s to many more road trips and meeting many more terrific people!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Friday night date Usually around the middle of each week, Gary asks, “So what are we going to do for our Friday date this week?” I love it when he talks that way!
One of our dating rules is we have to save up something interesting that happened during the week to tell each other. I can never save up anything … I always tell Gary the same day that anything interesting happens.
We walked along the river after dinner and then came home to do laundry and pack for our trip to Idaho tomorrow morning. Gary says we’re leaving early. Early on a weekday morning is 5:00am, but early on Saturday is much later, right?
When it comes to road trips, Gary is a man on a mission. For him, the object isn't necessarily to enjoy the trip along the way, but to get there. And so tomorrow we’ll leave early for Idaho and we’ll get there. Which means I’d better go pack.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Tough day on the job
Test ride a convertible Beamer? Are you kidding? Of course!
Today was the day the fleet of 25 Ultimate Drive BMWs came to Bend on its tour across the country. For every mile test-driven, BMW North America donates $1 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. In the eleven years BMW has been partnering with Komen, they’ve donated nearly $12 million.
Riding around in BMW convertibles ... my job is a tough one, but someone has to do it.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
We were tired after the 7½-mile hike, but a good sort of tired. I can’t think of a better way to spend Father’s Day when one’s children live so far away. Which brings me to Gary, the father of those children. I think one of the nicest things I can say about Gary is that he’s the same at home as he is in public. For nearly 35 years he has been consistently kind and thoughtful; he has always put me and the kids first; he has kept me laughing with his dry sense of humor. What more could a girl ask for?!
Happy Father’s Day, honey, to the best dad and husband I know!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Confession It’s Friday morning at 8:00 and I’m still in my pajamas. I have too many hours at work this week so I'm going in a little late.
It promises to be a gorgeous day after an extra lonnngg winter. The nearby Cascade Mountains got another dumping of snow this week and it’s been in the low 30s overnight here in town, which is driving our local gardeners crazy.
I have a confession to make: I don’t mind the cold or the gray skies.
I have a friend who calls me the winter woman. It’s because I love the snow … and a fire burning in the fireplace … and the smell of homemade soup simmering … and Christmas lights … and baking on a cold winter day … and snowshoeing and … well, you get the point.
It’s not that I don’t like the sunshine, but if it would just stay in the 70s and 80s all summer I’d be perfectly content. It’s hard coming home after work and heating the place up cooking dinner. I could live on fresh fruit and yogurt for dinner all summer, but Gary is much more demanding.
This morning I discovered another reason why I’m sorry to see winter make her exit. Dust. It stays hidden during the winter and spring days and now all of a sudden it’s everywhere. (The fact that I haven’t dusted in weeks might have something to do with it.) Sigh.
I need to stop and get ready for work, but this afternoon I will pull out my dusting supplies, put shorts on over these glaring white legs, and go forth into the sunshine and enjoy this day! Hope you do, too.
P.S. Happy birthday to our son, Jeremy, who along with Denise will be enjoying Diamondbacks stadium fireworks and a birthday dinner with friends from the roof of their downtown Phoenix apartment!
Monday, June 09, 2008
Light bulb moment I’ve had an epiphany since yesterday’s blog. While I was journaling this morning, it hit me that it’s not just about wanting to live near our children; it’s about wanting to impact others as a family.
We raised our two children to take their interests and skills and look for something to do with their lives that would benefit others. Our son, Jeremy, had his own darkroom in high school and I remember conversations with him about what it would look like to use his photography skills to make a difference in the world. Jeremy and his wife, Denise, had opportunity to travel to Uganda where they shot video and still photos in orphanages. They came home with the vision of raising funds to help older orphans get a secondary education or learn a trade; to help fund the placement of African orphans in American families, keeping siblings together as much as possible.
Our son-in-law, Josh, is a pastor with a gift for teaching and life coaching. Together with a friend, he has produced some professional “visual aid” videos. Our daughter, Summer, is very family-oriented and insightful and loves to write. She isn’t shy about sharing her opinions; give her any topic and she’ll tell you what she thinks!
And of course Gary and I—because we could have used some encouragement and guidance when we were just beginning our cancer journey—have a passion to encourage newly-diagnosed cancer patients in a variety of practical ways.
What would it look like to have some sort of family non-profit? Perhaps a guest ranch that could be used for various activities – where newly-diagnosed cancer patients could get started on a moderate exercise regime and learn how to cook nutritious meals; where families of adopted African orphans could enjoy the great outdoors, share their experiences, and learn a little more about the African culture out of which their child(ren) came; where life coaching and parenting/family skills could be taught through seminars and Internet writing and video venues. Actually, the possibilities are endless.
We want our grandchildren to grow up thinking this is the most normal way to live – to spend one’s life giving back to the hurting and discouraged and less fortunate. Which is part of why I'd love to have them all underfoot!
Sunday, June 08, 2008
HomesickI’m writing this from the Chicago O’Hare Airport. I’ve been teary-eyed ever since Summer dropped me off in Philly early this morning and I took one last peak at Lydia, our Sleeping Beauty. I’m OK emotionally if I don’t think about how far away we live from them. But the minute I start thinking, the tears roll down my cheeks. Even now.
Lilly and I gave each other pedicures, and while she was in school Titus and I visited the playground where squirrels played hide and seek and ducks landed in the nearby swimming pool.
live is littered with lovely old homes with large front porches. Gary and I would take the top floor because we would want the exercise. Summer claimed the bottom floor because she would have the most groceries to haul in. That leaves the second floor for Jeremy and Denise (fat chance of getting them to leave Arizona for New Jersey!).
There is an ache in my chest … a sort of homesickness, only I don’t know where I’m homesick for. I guess I’m just homesick to have husband, children and grands all gathered nearby. But Summer’s in-laws live in Des Moines and I’m sure they feel the same ache … and it’s just not possible to resolve all the aches of all the mothers in the world.
And so we accept our lot for now, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to keep scheming about ways to connect with our children and grandchildren as often as possible!
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Amazing volunteers I’m exhausted after this full weekend … but a good sort of exhausted. This year’s Heaven Can Wait 5K breast cancer walk/run had a record number of participants – over 3,200 – and raised several thousand dollars more than last year’s event.
After the dust has settled, the thing that stands out most in my mind is the volume of amazing volunteers who helped pull off such a successful event – many of them cancer survivors. I’d have to get out a calculator to add up the people who helped me with pre-race deliveries, mailings and phone calls; manned tables of give-away products and helped with merchandise sales; and showed up at the park early this morning to help set up under the big tent. There were dozens of people who helped with registration, procured food and prizes, marked the race course, emptied garbage cans and gave chair massages.
Gary, of course, shadowed me all weekend and even tried his hand at merchandise sales (he endeavored to convince more than one woman that the pink aprons with brown logos would make great Father’s Day gifts!). One of my volunteers – through with chemo but just beginning radiation – worked for several hours on Saturday and Sunday and then thanked me several times for letting her volunteer. Go figure!
Is our town of Bend blessed with an inordinate amount of giving people? Are cancer survivors especially big-hearted? Or is there something about working together in community toward a good cause that is part of living strong?
I think maybe all of the above.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Countdown! Five more days until I get to meet our newest granddaughter, Lydia! Until then, my life at work is crazy busy. We’re in crunch week of Heaven Can Wait, a 5K walk/run founded nine years ago by a local breast cancer survivor.
And then I’ll board a plane Monday morning for New Jersey and leave all the “clean up” work on my desk, and will try not to think about how high the pile is while I cuddle and play with grandchildren.
Five more days!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Family reunion We just got back from Gary’s family reunion. For 39 years, the Johnsons have been camping out on Memorial Day weekend with anywhere from 80 to 120 people in attendance – a wonderful blend of four generations.
Over the course of the years, a few things have changed. I’m not a coffee drinker, but we’ve gone high-tech from the early days when someone threw a handful of grounds into an old cast iron coffee pot and set it on the open fire until it boiled over. A few years back, someone got smart and divided the family members into groups for meal preparation and clean-up. Almost every year there are new engagements or marriages, and almost certainly there are new babies. The most noticeable variation this year was a couple of our nieces who changed their hair color from blonde to dark brunette … but they’re still blonde, if you catch my drift.
So although there are changes, not much really changes. Which is one of the things I love about the family reunion. We still hang out around the campfire and get caught up on the latest family news. We still play table games and lawn games and take the little ones to the playground, marveling at how much they’ve grown. We still eat way too much food (the Johnson women know how to cook!). We still have Skit Night on Saturday and a Sunday morning worship service.
On the drive home, Gary commented on how encouraging the weekend had been and how good it is to get together. Whether they realize it or not, our extended family is a critical part of our support system.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Testing the limits Gary took the last two mornings off from his usual hike up Pilot Butte because his calves were so sore. They’re sore because we hiked Tumalo Mountain in the snow on Sunday.
Our challenge wasn’t in throwing ourselves off the edge, but just in making it up the mountain. I think sometimes you just have to defy the side effects of medication (speaking of Gary here) by refusing to give in to exhaustion. Sometimes you just have to see what you’re capable of doing.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Trailblazers Gary was in an all-day training today. He’s now an official, card-carrying cancer support volunteer with the Cancer Hope Network, a non-profit organization that provides one-on-one support to people undergoing treatment for cancer.
Thirty-four local people participated in the training these past two days. The new trainees will be added to the Cancer Hope Network database. When a newly-diagnosed patient calls CHN, they’ll be connected to a trained volunteer with a similar cancer experience. Gary was impressed with the other survivors he met who have gone through so much and yet are willing to give of their time and efforts to help others.
I’ve heard Gary compare the cancer journey to hiking a new trail. He points out that whenever we consider a new hike, we like to talk with someone who can give us an idea of the terrain and what to expect. “It’s the same with cancer,” Gary says. “It’s good to talk with someone who has walked the trail ahead of you.”
I would think having a personal cancer trailblazer would be incredibly encouraging. Along with that, I believe that being a personal cancer trailblazer can be an important part of living well.
So often it turns out that we’re the ones who benefit most when we focus outward in service to others.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The last lecture I just finished reading a little book, The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon. Pausch has a wife, three young children … and pancreatic cancer. He’s been told he has just a few months left to live.
Gary and I watched a YouTube version of Pausch’s last lecture given at Carnegie Mellon. After doing push-ups on the stage floor to demonstrate that he was probably in better condition than most of the people in the audience, Pausch talked about how to achieve one’s childhood dreams.
Pausch’s book is an expansion of his lecture. Its short chapters have titles such as “No Job is Beneath You”, “A Bad Apology is Worse than No Apology” and “Don’t Obsess Over What People Think”. The lecture and the subsequent book were created for the benefit of his young children – so they could remember their dad and know that he loved them; so they could take in his words to live by.
I like this guy’s attitude. Pausch has determined to live life fully for the remaining time he has left on this earth. And what a great way to live … whether one has cancer or not.
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