Tag: loss

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Be The Best.

The Stanley Cup and Being The Best.

Wow.  It’s over.  The Stanley Cup for 2010 has been won by the Blackhawks.

Now this is not a sports blog per se, so I won’t mention how much I despise the Hawks for beating our beloved Canucks earlier this year…or maybe I will.  Better yet maybe I’ll make a video…oh yah, did that too.  If you haven’t seen it, here’s a minute and 15 seconds of time that you’ll never get back…

Fun aside, the Hawks Chairman and owner, Rocky Wirtz, was interviewed after tonight’s game.  I’m paraphrasing slightly…but the question was, how did you know you were going to win? how could you have set  your expectations so high?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE his answer.  Mr. Wirtz said, I can tell you this much…if we had set the bar lower, we would have achieved it.

Let that sink in.

If we set the bar low…if we aim low…if our goals are low…we’ll probably achieve low.

If we aim high and don’t achieve the ‘prize’, I guarantee you that we’ll achieve more that we ever thought we could.

Be The Best.  What a great example.

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Be The Best.

Longboarding and Be The Best.

I was first introduced to longboarding (like skateboards, but longer!) a couple of years back by Vincent, an exchange student we had stay with us while Max was staying in Quebec at Vincent’s home.

I met a longboarder skating on the back roads of BCIT a few months later and we got to know each other.

I’ve written before about taking calculated risks and to make a long story short, that chance meeting with Patrick Switzer turned into a sponsorship relationship…the first of it’s kind in Canada and probably anywhere in the world between a longboarder and an educational institution.

Patrick flies down hills in races at 70, 80, and 90+ km/h.  It’s crazy stuff.  You can check him out all over youtube.  This article is a great place for more info.

The reason I’m bringing this up today, is I met Patrick this afternoon before he left for the States, then Europe, then Australia and maybe even South Africa over the next 6 months.  He is in the top 3 of the world rankings in longboarding….impressive.

He told me today of how he has set goals, worked hard and never stopped believing he could succeed in his sport and be successful at something he was passionate about.  I love that.  That is Be The Best!  I told him he could win a few races for Chris this year…and I’m not doubting for a minute that he will make that happen.

Go get em Patrick…and thanks for showing us how to live our dreams.

Dreams+Goals+Work+Work+Work=Success.

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Be The Best.

Hit it hard and coast.

I mentioned that I would bring forward a few life lessons that we had developed as a family over the years.

When I was a teenager I worked at a family supermarket.  There was an older gentleman there that had a saying that stuck with me forever.  A big load of groceries would come in off the truck and our job was to get the load into the store and on the shelves.  Every Tuesday and Thursday he would say the same thing to us.  “Ok boys, tonight we are going to HIT IT HARD AND COAST”.

Hit it hard and coast. Work hard, unload the groceries, shorten your breaks and then have a bigger break when the job was done.  Simple.  I love that saying.  I used it with the boys (Max and Chris) all the time.

Our society is built around COASTING first and then WORKING later.  ie…paying on credit and then having to pay the bill later…eating a big greasy meal and then working out later etc.

The principle of ‘hit it hard and coast’ is just the opposite.  Work first. Relax second.

Simple advice that Max and Chris both took to heart….usually!

Hit it hard and coast.

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Be The Best.

Plain and simple.

There is no love like a parent’s love.

Our love for Chris continues every second of every day.

Sometimes we cannot express that as deeply as we feel, but it is there with every heartbeat.

We miss you so much Chris…and when I say ‘we’ I feel you all continuing to stand with us.

One decision at a time…moving towards the new normal, but no one said it was going to be easy.

I know there are many of us who are still working through our feelings about grief and loss especially as they relate to Chris.  If you haven’t already, please find someone you can talk to.  That can be a friend, teacher, parent, coach, relative, etc. etc.

I know after those words saying ‘have a great week’ may sound trite…but I do believe that too.  Let’s have a great week and aim to Be The Best regardless of our pursuits.  For our high school students out there…study hard!

Have a great week.

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Be The Best.

Chris Box Lacrosse Video Tribute

Mean group of players, ready to rumble...!

For those of you who could not make it last night and for those who want to see it again, here is the video portion of the tribute to Chris from the April 27th Junior Thunder game.

You’ll see some of the same interview clips from the memorial service, but I’ve added some box lacrosse pictures as well as a little more intense soundtrack as the 3-minute tribute moves on.  Yes, that is Thunderstruck by AC/DC, but I think my Mom had already guessed that….or not.

Who's that short guy in the middle?

It’s a funny thing…I put this movie together so I knew exactly what was coming and when, but even that did not stop the flow of emotion seeing when viewing the presentation and seeing Chris speaking through the interview clips on the big screen.  “I really want to win”, stated Chris.

So do I man, so do I.

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Be The Best.

A little therapy…from birds.

Last Sunday I brought you a tour of Langley via bike.  Today, it’s a walking tour.  I had something different planned, but this morning was so peaceful, I put together a few images from our walk this morning.

Getting outside even for a short 30 minute walk, has been a great way to help our thoughts process.  It felt like the birds themselves were encouraging us this morning.  Listen closely…you’ll hear them.

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Be The Best.

Legacy of sight

As was mentioned at the funeral, we made a family decision to donate Chris’ corneas.

This is not the easiest post to write and perhaps not to read either, but I promised to be forthcoming as we journeyed forward so here goes.

We received a letter late this week from the Eye Bank of British Columbia.  We’ve received a number of ‘business’ letters including condolences, but when you read it in print it always hits you…’the recent loss of your son Christian’.  After three weeks it feels like he should still be coming home even though we know that will not happen in this world.

The letter continues, ‘I hope there is some comfort to you and your family in knowing that your generosity has dramatically improved the lives of corneal transplant recipients.  These individuals are very grateful to you and your family for this Legacy of Sight’.

I love that.  The Legacy of Sight.  These are the eyes of a champion.  As much as Chris’ corneas will physically guide a recipient for years and decades to come, the spirit of Chris and the principled life he lived can help guide us all on our journey.

The letter ends, ‘With gratitude, I thank you for reaching out in the midst of your sorrow to help others’.

We wouldn’t have it any other way.  This is a gift that gives back as much as it gives.