Make the Most of Your Time

Happy New Year!!! I hope your Christmas and New Year were special. I am very excited to be here and celebrating the beginning of 2022. A year ago I did not think I was going to be around this time of the year. I am here and doing well. About to head to the hospital to get my monthly check up. Have 4 more months of chemo, life is good.

My boys, Michael and Mason, helped me start the New Year in a very special way. I honestly don’t have some big list of things I want to do before my time is up. I enjoy college basketball and have been a Kansas Jayhawks fan since Bill Self became the coach in 2003. I went to high school with Bill in Edmond, Oklahoma and was friends with him and his sister Shelly in high school. I have watched his basketball history and Bill has been very successful.

Bill has led the Jayhawks to 3 Final Four appearances and won the NCAA championship in 2008. I have wanted to go to Kansas for years and watch them play. Shelly was here at the house in November. That gave my son Mason a big plan for a Christmas gift for dad. He talked to Shelly, she talked to her brother Bill. He offered us tickets and the boys and I made the drive to watch a game.

Mason and I made the drive to OKC on December 31. We spent the night at Michael’s house that night and took off for Kansas the next day, January 1st. I have traveled very little since I was diagnosed with this brain tumor and hardly at all since my big surgery the last day of March. None of that mattered, I was going to a special basketball game with my boys. The drive there was pretty miserable. Snowed on us the entire day. Took us over two extra hours to get there for the game that evening. None of that mattered. We made it!

Shelly picked us up at the place we were spending the night. The temp was single digits but once we got inside the gym the challenges of the day disappeared. I have been watching basketball games most of my life. Watching my boys play in high school were the best, but this game was one of the most special games I have sat and watched.

The Jayhawks won the game, probably not the best game they have or will play this year. That really didn’t matter. To experience the team warm up and get introduced. Our seats were wonderful and close to the bench. I enjoyed watching Bill talk to and coach his team. It was a very special night to spend with Michael and Mason.

I am so grateful Mason pursued this, grateful for the help of Shelly and the time to spend with her there and all the information she gave us and appreciate Bill making this happen for us. It was an incredible 2 days with my boys. It took me several days to recover but well worth it.

Last year Natalie and I took a trip to the beach, my daughter and I went to Portland and went fishing. Madi caught 3 nice salmon. That was special. These things remind me, I don’t know how long I have left. I don’t want this terminal cancer to distract me from the people I love, doing some things that matter to each of us.

Can I encourage you? What are some things you really want to do and experience? What keeps you from pursuing some of those? None of us know how long we have. Maybe we can’t do everything we have on our list but, “choose to do some of those things, you want to do.”

Enjoy some time with your family and friends that matter to you.

Remember each of you are, “Loved and of Great Value.”