Fri. Jan. 20th
As I hope you all know, we have 3 objectives with The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation. We talk a great deal about the first two – providing much-needed funding for childhood cancer research and financial (and other) assistance to families of children with cancer. But, The B+ Foundation is more than a medically-oriented foundation. We are also a ‘lifestyle’ foundation. Our third objective is to spread the B+ message and help everyone to “Live Like Andrew”. This makes up much of what I talk about when I speak to groups – young and old – around the country.
What does it mean to “Live Like Andrew”? As you will see on our B+ (Pay it Forward) cards (contact us if you would like some), here’s what it means to “Live Like Andrew”:
Have fun!
Set goals and try your best.
Show affection and spend time with your family.
Be comfortable with yourself.
Keep life in perspective.
I could tell you stories for hours about how Andrew EMBRACED each of these goals. While his time on his earth was very short at just over 14 years, he made the most of his time here and, very importantly, he touched so many people’s lives because of the way he lived. And, to my pleasant surprise, Andrew continues to touch people’s lives even still. I can’t tell you how many people contact me (and I NEVER get tired of it!) to tell me that Andrew continues to touch their lives and guide them as the battle the perceived struggles of their lives. And, many of these people, never had the privilege of meeting Andrew personally, but they have embraced his message. Andrew continues to ‘live’; just in a different way.
When we were in the hospital, we learned that, unfortunately, we don’t really control a lot of what happens to us. That was a bit difficult to accept for “Type A” personalities like Chris and me. One of the things that we can absolutely control is how we handle the hand that is dealt to us. Our attitude is 100% within our control.
Does that mean that I go skipping around every day because I want to be happy? Of course not! My heart is forever broken without my Andrew in this world. There are SO many days when I don’t want to get out of bed. Every day is a battle. But, I try my best to “Live Like Andrew”. It’s not always easy, but for me, personally, I have role models to follow – God and Andrew.
If people are interested, perhaps in the future I’ll write about some great Andrew stories that relate to the 5 points above.
I know people have joined the B+ Nation at different times over the last 5 years (we’re coming up on the 5th anniversary of the start of our terrible journey on Jan 29th), so I hope this entry is interesting, helpful, and meaningful.
MAKE it a great weekend!
B+
Ali & Andrew’s Dad