Moments — LOVE, FREEDOM, INNER STRENGTH

I could not help but notice the chalkboard — it had been erased clean (although the deeply etched messages of the past still echoed through if you looked hard enough), and in the bottom right corner were three words for all to see. 

LOVE

FREEDOM

INNER STRENGTH

Who wrote these three words was impossible to tell. It may have been the one who erased the board clean or someone who came across a clean slate and had something to say? I don't think it really matters. I could not help but think they were three very good words — all open for interpretation, but in the end all positive and noble pursuits.

As is my way, I looked at this symbolically and saw the words as the compass for how we fill in the rest of the space that is our chalkboard — be it in with our actions, the way we live our life, or what we plan to do.

Or I suppose they could be just three words someone thought had meaning — in that case mine would be LIGHT, LOVE, UNDERSTANDING.

As I look at my three words though, it does seem they actually are the compass and inspiration for most of what I am.

iamgpe

Moments — käməˈrädərē

"Graham!"  

"It's <insert name of brother>. I'm at Pearson airport and I'm hammered — so of course I thought of you." 

"I just wanted to say I love you very much and I hope everything is going really well. I'm just coming back from Kansas City after seeing the total eclipse... and um, tomorrow I'm off to France, and then Venice for a cruise, and then, ah Croatia, and then L.A., and then Tokyo... and then Berlin. So, I'll call you in a couple of months... and... and believe me, I'm deadly serious when I name all these places." 

"Of course I had nothing to do with all of this... it's all <insert name of brother's wife>'s work, but as a passive aggressive rider of life like all good Canadians are I salute you, and hope you have a fantastic evening — and give me a call when you can, leave a message, or email me... bye for now."

I tell this for no other reason than to share how blessed I am to know such friendship — and that when I heard the message I laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

I hope you are so blessed,

iamgpe

Moments — A meaningful walk

It was a beautiful autumn day and much warmer than it should have been for this time of year. It was on this day I walked ten kilometres with a good friend of mine, and if I was to guess, about 150 people joined us — some rode bicycles, some ran, and others walked. Being a last minute decision on my part I didn't have the proper shoes with me, but a little discomfort was no reason not to participate.

Thirty-seven years before, a young man who had lost one of his legs to osteosarcoma started to run — over 143 days he would run 5,373 kilometres before the disease that eventually took his life forced him to stop.

This was my friend's thirty-sixth Terry Fox Run and it was a privilege to join him this year. We had a chance to catch up, talk about how cancer has touched our lives, enjoy the richness of the local community, and enjoy something as simple as a walk. 

An opportunity to reflect on the roads we've travelled — and with a little luck, will continue to travel.

iamgpe

Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox