“A foundation for healthy living and healthy giving”
LEGACY
My life changed - forever - in One moment - with One word.
This is my LEGACY story- a gift of love, from my son and I hope it’s a LEGACY gift for you.
Words are powerful but you need to understand the context, to understand the true meaning of this word.
Ronald Stanford Brook was born 11/26/62 in Whittier Hospital (CA) and 4 months later diagnosed w/CF.
My wife, Patty, and I were told then that he probably wouldn’t live to be 4 or 5. But, he defied the odds of this genetic disease and lived a pretty normal life until he was first hospitalized at the age of 23.
It was 7pm 6/21/1988, when Patty and I walked into his 11th floor room at VM. He had been in that room, or one like it, a dozen times in the past two years. Each time for 2-3 weeks to get his lungs cleared up, only to return a couple of months later for a repeat treatment. Ron hated being in the hospital- it reminded him that he was sick and he wanted to be outside having fun waterskiing with his friends.
On this hospital stay, his therapy also included psychiatrists helping him deal with the terminal nature of his illness. Imagine telling a 25 year old that they only have a year or two to live.
So, when we walked into Ron’s hospital room that night, I was very surprised to see him with a beaming ear to ear grin and I said: “What’s going on, pal?”
He said, “Dad, today the doctors (psychiatrists) asked me to describe my father in one word.”
I looked at his happy face, Cheshire smile, with anxious anticipation and said: “So, what did you say?”
Ron said, “Dad, without hesitation, I said – Healthy!”
We hugged. I was happy, he was happy. But, Why was he so delighted? I really didn’t get it.
It was a year, 3 months & a day later – Ron died. Then, I read Ron’s journal. There I was, soaked in tears from the loss of my only child and best friend. Reading his heartaches and, there was the entry dated 6/21/89 describing the doctors question, and Ron’s answer. He went on to write “whoever invented the saying ‘a picture of health’ must have been looking at my dad at the time.”
I finally understood. I got it! That’s what Ron wanted in his life more than anything – and he didn’t have a choice. He was born with a destiny to die young. Ron wanted so much to be healthy, he saw the fulfillment of his dreams in me. I suddenly felt an awesome responsibility.
I screamed out- “You ain’t seen nothing yet, pal. I’m going to be as healthy as I can be, for YOU! Not just for me. I have two lives to live- the fulfillment of your dreams as well as my own.”
It was in that defining moment, I knew the meaning of passion – “I have two lives to live!”
In a word, I grasped the meaning of purpose- to be as healthy as I can be - out of my love for Ron.
The Aha! Ron had little or no choice in his health, but most of us do. Suddenly, I understood God’s free will offering- he gave us the power to choose our response- What will we eat or choose not to eat? What will we choose to drink? What will we feed our mind by what we read or listen to or watch?
Yes, most of us have control of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. We have free will. We have the power of choice. Today, we will make hundreds of decisions, most out of habit -without thinking.
Today, think, choose and pre-determine: What will you feed your body? Your mind? Your heart? Your soul? Carefully consider long-term consequences. Choose your thoughts. Choose your attitudes. Choose your actions. Make healthy choices; Godly decisions!”
Will- Ron’s- life, and- his- legacy, make a difference in the choices you make today?