GO JAYHAWKS!!!!!

Hello and hope all is well with you! Had a week of very warm weather, last night and today it has cooled off quite a bit. The back and forth of weather is interesting and probably some good life lessons in that. Not going to write about that today!!!

I am pretty excited about the weekend. My all time favorite sporting event and about the only one I have kept up with in years is, College Basketball. The final four are playing for the championship and it starts Saturday evening. Have some friends coming over to watch and very excited for that.

For many years I filled out the college basketball playoffs bracket. Did not do that this year. Every time I did that over the last 18 years. I always picked one team, the same team to win it all. The Kansas Jayhawks!!!! I went to high school with Bill Self and when he took over at Kansas they became my team.

I knew Bill well and also his sister Shelly. Bill was one year ahead of me and Shelly was one year behind me. Over the years my contact with theses two went away but I was still a huge fan and followed the Jayhawks every year.

Since my brain tumor started up over a year ago I have been fortunate enough to get reconnected with Shelly. That has been special. She and another good friend Kelly George came down together and ran in that 5k run that was put together for me several months ago. They came by the house and visited, was a special visit for me.

Trying not to add to much stuff here but all of that is important details to the story.

My son Mason reached out to Shelly and shared with her that it would be very special for me to get to Kansas to watch the Jayhawks play a game. Shelly made that happen. The boys and I drove to the game and got to watch the Jayhawks play a game, and win a game. We sat with Shelly in great seats, Shelly took us to the locker room to visit with Bill and then she joined the boys and I for dinner. Was a wonderful experience.

That all happened the first day of January. Towards the last days of January, Shelly and Bill had to navigate something very different than basketball.

January 21st their dad, Bill passed away. This is the most important part of the story, in my opinion.

I sincerely enjoy basketball and have watched it since I was a teenager. I believe with every thing in me what is more important than games is the love and loss of our parents.

When a loved one dies the relationship we have with them begins to change. That change can be very painful and challenging.

I have done “grief work” for the last 30+ years of my life. The beginning of that I didn’t think about or realize why it was so comfortable for me. As I aged, got training in grief work, I began to understand how much death and grief were simply part of my life. I am sure it was unhealthy for many years, especially as a teenager. My work with others has helped me continue to heal and understand the reality of death in every life. That reality and truth has helped me navigate a terminal brain tumor.

That in no way means it should be easy. Death is painful and very difficult at time. Nobody wants to lose a loved one. It is simply one of those difficult realities of this life. There has been and always will be, “life and death”!!!

I have thought so much about Shelly and Bill. I am so grateful how open they have been about loosing their father. That process is good for them and others.

I want Kansas to win another “National Championship.” I want Bill to experience that again as the head coach of Kansas. I want Shelly to experience this with her family and friends. I want that to happen and I am a big fan.

Honestly the bigger thing I want to happen either way, win or loose. I want key memories of their dad to be experienced. I want them both to remember how much they were LOVED by their FATHER.

GO JAYHAWKS, WIN ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!!!!!

Each of you remember, You are Loved and of Great Value!!!!!!