I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going. - Jim Valvano
As many of you know, my son Jon was recently taken from us by cancer. One of Jon’s favorite heroes in his battle with cancer was Jimmy Valvano, the late coach and ESPN commentator. Following Jon’s passing, I went looking for a speech Coach Valvano gave that served as the foundation and inspiration for the “Jimmy V Cancer Foundation.” Jon’s favorite line from the speech was Coach Valvano’s charge to “Don’t give up, Don’t ever give up," which Jon practiced on a daily basis. The other evening I found the speech which was part of an ESPN broadcast featuring Coach Valvano addressing a live audience after receiving the Arthur Ashe Award, and came two months before his life was taken by cancer. As I listened to him, I thought how remarkably brave a man he was as he faced a life-threatening disease for which there was no cure. His tone was one of hope and appreciation for all that he experienced in life, and he consistently, throughout his talk spoke to his love of life and how we can all achieve our goals if we never give up hope that we will succeed. His quote, “In every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things,” speaks to the fact that each of us has the ability to touch the lives of others in a very positive way. His words resonated with me, and I gained a better understanding of my son and why he always had such a positive outlook during his three-year battle with cancer.
We often look around us and are often amazed by the achievements of others, failing to
realize that while we might lack their talents, we need to look inward and recognize our gifts and how we can use those gifts to mark achievement in our lives. Jimmy Valvano said that “a person really doesn't become whole until he becomes a part of something that's bigger than himself.” We are entering a time of year that is marked by great happiness by some and great sadness for others. At this time of year we have an opportunity to work toward alleviating much of that unhappiness through our joining with others to serve our community. What greater gift can you give than to work at bringing joy to an individual or individuals experiencing hardship?
I believe the best message that Jimmy Valvano left us as he battled cancer was to enjoy
life and appreciate that which we have in our lives and that which we can share with others. It was a message that Jon believed and lived during the last three years of his life,
a time when you always saw a smile on his face and hope in his words. I will never forget
the last words of Coach Valvano’s speech, when he stated, “I just got one last thing, I urge
all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going.” Jon not only believed in this motto, he lived that motto. Thanks, Jimmy, for your wonderful advice.
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