LIVESTRONG – Then & Now

Everyone knows who Lance Armstrong and the LIVESTRONG Foundation is, in fact many of us proudly wear the famous yellow bracelet every day.  Prior to August 10, 2012, my connection to LIVESTRONG was through my cousin, Matt McKee.  As many of you already know, my cousin was affected by Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and lost his fight to early.  Yet, what you may not know is that his greatest hero was Lance Armstrong, in fact, at Matt’s funeral, every guest was given their own yellow bracelet and I have worn mine every day since.  So over the past few years, I have familiarized myself more with the LIVESTRONG Foundation, however it was still from “afar” because although several friends and family have been affected by cancer, it hadn’t affected me in the manner that it has now.

NOW – you see, I am a person of reflection.  I read a lot and when something moves me, I dig into the words and phrases in an effort to apply them to my life.  So recently, when one friend sent me the link to this video, “Our Manifesto”, and then another friend sent me the photo below…..I figured I better pay a little more attention to the words. 

 

Granted my dad is the cancer patient, however this disease has entered all of our lives.  As I reflect on these words and the past three weeks, I feel that they describe how our dad’s diagnosis has impacted my brother and I.  We are LIVESTRONG!  Our parents may be LIVESTRONG someday, but not today, as they continue to deal with the shock of everything. 

You see, it is LIVESTRONG that kicked in for Toby and I moments after hearing the diagnosis from the doctors.  Our unity has become strength for our parents.  Our energy and knowledge to ask the questions, listen to the answers and then to ask the really tough questions is LIVESTRONG.  We keep reminding our parents that although it seems like cancer is taking control of our lives, we have to live every minute with every ounce of our being.  We have had to remind them when they feel like pulling punches, that at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter.  We have hugged both of them when the tears fall and squeezed them tighter when the rage occurs…..we have made them laugh and had to be that voice of reality that says “suck it up” when the self-pity consumes them.  This is LIVESTRONG!

We believe that this has happened for a reason and we believe that we have a story to tell from it.  And just maybe for today, that story is simply demonstrating what it means to LIVESTRONG.  Because although this Manifesto was written specifically for those in the fight of their life with cancer, I think that there is an underlying foundation here that applies to everyone.  And on Saturday night, when our dad is the guest of honor in the LIVESTRONG Yellow Seat at the Sporting KC Game, I hope that others see the LIVESTRONG in all of us.