Irony, golf and Be The Best.

In several of my golf un-retirements this year, I played at the Drive for the Cure event in Langley and then again in Victoria at the amazing Olympic View Golf club.

For 13 years, Kirk Fisher from the Lark Group and friends, have been holding the Vancouver/Fraser Valley tournament and for the very first time an event was held in Victoria as well.

Talk about Be The Best.  Using volunteer labour and volunteer everything from sponsors, over one million dollars has been raised for cancer research and equipment.  That is fantastic on its own.  Amazing really.  But what I really love is their approach.  Taken directly from their website, ‘a group of individuals made a decision to change the way cancer has touched their lives. To channel the negative energy into something positive and to ultimately make a difference. The ‘Drive for the Cure’ was born.’

You saw that part right?  Made a decision. Fantastic.  You can’t change the fact that cancer comes and visits or even that  a mudslide is headed your way.  You have some control however on how you decide to react.

Why the backstory?

It’s a great story on its own and it has Be The Best all over it.  However, things got even a little more personal.

Along with a business colleague and golf partner Gord Klassen from Sitelines Architecture, we had just completed the round of golf in Victoria and were heading back to the clubhouse.  My Blackberry was going nuts with calls and emails.

I looked at the email from my Dad.  During what was supposed to be a mainly routine colonoscopy, the docs had found cancer.

My Dad appreciates irony and we’ve talked about the timing of this one.  It may top the cake Dad!

Several years back, my Mom had beat a form of leukemia into submission, but it has returned for a visit too in the past year and I was joking with Dad that he did not want Mom to have all the attention.  Hardly!

The docs want to move fast, so surgery is planned for this Friday, Sept 3.

Why all these stories?

Firstly, Chris LOVED his Grandpa and I know he along with all the other grandkids and family would want to extend the group of people to remember Dad (Jake) in your thoughts and prayers.

Secondly, it again reminds me that although I can’t control the event, I can control my response.  That response will be first to support my Mom and Dad and family and then to continue to help battle cancer through the support of amazing events like the Drive for the Cure.