A random act of happiness by an elderly couple from Iowa at Mayo Clinic goes viral in Youtube and made more than 6 million people smile. And that, say Francis and Marlow Cowan, is what keeps them young. No need for the botox or all the vitamins, this is the ‘secret!’ They sure made me smile! And guess what, they are married for more than 62 years!
A sad, yet inspiring and beautiful story of Katie Kirkpatrick, a 21-year-old, “who did not let sickness stop her from living, take away the hope or faith that made her believe she had a future …“, according to snopes.com. A reminder to all that time is limited, and someday it may just be our last. How are we going to live the last of our days? Are we going to just lie in bed and wait for death to claim us? Or are we going to get up, dress up in our best, get out of the house and live life to the fullest?
Remember that how we continue to live life, is purely our choice. Katie’s choice has inspired me and I hope her choice will inspire you to live the life that you truly deserve! To a friend who lost her life to cancer recently – you will always be dearly remembered.
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A tribute to a beautiful and inspiring soul – Katie Kirkpatrick
On January 15, 2005, twenty-one-year-old Katie—the girl “with a contagious smile and unrelenting optimism” who had been battling cancer for three years—married twenty-three-year-old Lapeer County sheriff’s deputy Nick Goodwin, her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, at Church of Christ in Hazel Park, Michigan.
Katie Kirkpatrick and her fiance, Nick, rest prior to their wedding. Katie has terminal cancer and spends hours in chemotherapy. Here Nick waits while she finishes one of the sessions.
Even in pain and dealing with her organs shutting down, with the help of morphine, Katie took care of every single wedding plan. Her dress had to be adjusted several times due to her constant weight loss.
An unusual accessory at the wedding was the oxygen tube that Katie used throughout the ceremony and reception as well. Katie’s parents look on.
Katie, in a wheelchair, listening to her husband and friends
At the reception, Katie had to take a few rest breaks. The pain wouldn’t allow her to stand up for long periods.
Katie passed away just five days after her wedding. Seeing the smile on her face, it was priceless.
Nick said of the wedding and Katie’s passing:
“It was wonderful. It was a dream come true. She was the most beautiful angel ever—just caring and selfless, and such an inspiration to everyone. She was always smiling no matter what happened, no matter what news she got. She was as close to perfect as they come.“
The person who posted this video asked, “Is he asking for Change, or is he asking for CHANGE? A lot of times it takes very little to make a difference in the life of another, to make someone’s life better.
The questions are:
Have we been too caught up with our lives and we have become oblivious to what are happening around us?
Have we over amplified our own problems that they ‘blocked’ out everything else that is important and needed our attention?
The man in the video has obviously seen and heard much more than we do and let us followed him in his ‘magical’ journey to affecting the life of others in the video.
Winner – Best Short Film – Maryville Film Festival
Winner – Audience Choice Award – Gateway Film Festival
Winner – Audience Choice Award – Moonlight Film Festival
Nominated – Best Female Filmmaker Award – Action On Film Intl Film Festival
Nominated – Sirrocco Award – Action On Film Intl Film Festival
Nominated – Best Silent Film – BareBones Intl Film Festival
I believe that some of you might have already read this before; it was a 30 seconds speech by Brian Dyson, former CEO of Coca Cola. Although Brian Dyson gave this speech on September 6, 1996, the words which were spoken back then are as applicable today as they were more than 14 years ago. He had aptly used an analogy of juggling balls to compare to what most of us have been struggling to balance in our lives: namely work, family, health, friends and spirit.
And how true it was when he described family, health, friends and spirit as glass ball and if we drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. Work, on the other hand, is a rubber ball which will bounce back when drop. This is something which we have to remind ourselves often to juggle the glass balls carefully. I hope that his words of wisdom would give you an insight in life.
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit … and you’re keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or evenshattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for Balance in your life.
How?
Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.
Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be pave.
Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings!
Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.
Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
Brian G. Dyson, former CEO, Coca-Cola Enterprises during his speech at the Georgia Tech 172nd Commencement Address Sept. 6, 1996
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I believe that some of you might have already read this before; it was a 30 seconds speech by Brian Dyson, former CEO of Coca Cola. Although Brian Dyson gave this speech on September 6, 1996, the words which were spoken back then are as applicable today as they were more than 14 years ago. He had aptly used an analogy of juggling balls to compare to what most of us have been struggling to balance in our lives: namely work, family, health, friends and spirit.