I am going to lift a couple of paragraphs from Terry Hershey’s Sabbath Moment blog from yesterday:
“Last week was Jimmy V week on ESPN (named for Jimmy Valvano’s foundation and pledge to fight and beat cancer). This year they replayed the 2014 Jimmy V award speech of legendary ESPN anchor Stuart Scott about his seven-year-long battle with the disease.
“When you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live,” Scott told those gathered. “So live. Live. Fight like hell. And when you get too tired to fight, lay down and rest, and let somebody else fight for you.”
Scott said the support of his family, friends, and bosses helped him through these hard times. “This whole fight, this journey thing is not a solo venture. This is something that requires support.””
“You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, anf the manner in which you live.” There are some mighty fine words to warm the hearts of Cancer Comanndos near and far. A lot of times we go on with the things that we do without the benefit of it being put into words like that. Thank you Stuart, well put buddy.
“This whole fight, this journey thing is not a solo venture.” There is a Camino deal if I ever heard of it. Maybe substitute Camino for “journey thing”; funny little way of putting it but we get it. Thank you Stuart.
Well, here we go begging, borrowing and stealing our way ahead. Seems to be what we are good at. Thanks for checking in on us here at Caminoheads. Remember we are smack dab in the middle of Advent. Seems all good to me, love, Felipe.
I’m made breathless by that post.
To be as honest as I can be, I am, in a way I can’t describe, for which I have no words, envious. The commando squad has been brought, no– let yourselves be led, into an awareness I don’t have. You know yourselves far, far better than I know myself– and that knowing gives you a platform of strength from which to be your authentic best: the ‘best’ that fits who you are, and only who you are.
In times of crisis– in extremis– I’ve known myself, well enough. But, in the day-to-day, in the ups and downs and struggles of realtionship and past demons and paying the bills and worry about the planet my grandkids will inherit and , and, and… the stuff in our faces everyday, that peaceful, assured knowlkedge of self– the platform to stand on and find awareness, seems to be elsewhere– and I seem to be running cirlces at the dead end of a cul de sac. Day after day.
Ok, this sounds terribly selfish. My problems– and those others who have cul-de-sac lives on too many occasions– don’t face the hard-edged challenges of the commandos, and I/we know that. My/our challenge is to witness the commando spirit and, somehow, find that groove for our own selves — and hold to it. I know it can’t be forced; I don’t know how to just ‘be.’
This isn’t a question, really, as there is no singular answer. It’s off-loading my own interior clutter– and I hope it’s not inappropriate here.
Steve-O ~ hey dude, just talking about you today. I saw Val at the market and I was telling her that we had gone out on a hunt the first time without the dogs. Yea, the dogs.
Anyway, back to the Commando spirit. There is a strange happening when because one is striving to help others one helps oneself. Sort of you can’t find yourself unless you get rid of yourself. What is another way to say it? One becomes stronger because one has given up on oneself. Or perhaps we eventually find a path to get out of our own way. Well, I took a shot at it. Kind of like trying to hit one of those forty yard winging chukars from some extremely precarious position.
Well, hopefully we can’t solve it all on one day, right? We have more campfires to sit around, I think, I hope. Keep in touch, love you man, Felipe.
You are right. About all of that. Including campfires. Lots to talk about soon.
Peace and Love, Buddy
Steve-O ~ OK, miss our laughs. Merry Christmas, Felipe.
Felipe,
You are living well, everyday, by my reckoning. You walk with your cancer with grace and with warmth and with welcoming to others. It’s a disease, it’s a teaching, it’s hell sometimes and heaven others – think about how your life has been changed by it. I’m not saying I would ever wish your suffering on you or another. No way! But there is an old Chinese proverb where things happen to a man (some seemingly obvious good, some seemingly bad) and the people around him say so sorry or so glad. But, the guy says to every trial that befalls him “maybe yes, maybe no” Things that look good, things that look bad, each one has hidden blessings and hidden sorrows. I cannot imagine, really the Camino you are walking, and were you not walking it our paths would have never crossed. I feel so blessed to know you, I pray for you daily and all I know, which isn’t much, is that you are an instrument of God’s peace and he is playing you to the final breath. And this, Felipe, is not a maybe “yes,” but rather a divine “yes.” and you and your family are so brave to accept God’s “yes.”
Good rest and good drams be yours.
Catherine ~ oh no, not another old Chinese proverb! Just kidding, have to lighten this stuff up a little. We could have a writer’s group where we think up new old Chinese proverbs. Just a thought.
Anyway, where were we? It just may be one of those completely hair brained days for me, been known to happen. Better get the by standers back out of the way. OK, love your thoughts and your obvious care for me. This whole thing wouldn’t happen without that. I have to duck out of here now though, love, Felipe.