Live Life!!

I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to about 24 people I have never met today. At lunch I spoke to a group of 12 Realtors about stress and what impact it has on ones health and after work I spoke about sleep at a weight loss center. A year ago I would have been absolutely terrified to do public speaking and now I will do it anywhere at anytime. What caused such a change in me. It was the lessons I learned from a teeny tiny little pickle named Ashley.

I would have never guessed that God would use my own daughter to teach me so many valuable life lessons. That little girl has taught me so much about what is and what is not important in life. As I was wrapping up one of my lectures this evening I said some words that I have learned through Ashley's Story. It sounded so simple to me but had a profound effect on one particular lady in the room. She asked me to repeat it and when I did I noticed she was writing it down. At the end of the lecture she came to me and showed me what was written just to make sure she had taken it down correctly. She asked if it was my original quote and I chuckled and told her it was. It made me laugh that something a tiny little girl taught me was making such an impact and the nice little older lady.

"If you are going to be alive, you might as well live"

A few weeks back when Ash was "stuck" in the hospital and Trish and I began talking about the need to get her out and back in our home these words were something we began to consider. Ashley is alive and thus we decided it was time to let her live. Live Life, not just be alive in a hospital room. And living she is. She is home. She is with the ones she loves. She doesn't even know her life is any different than normal. She doesn't know that not all kids have tubes coming out of them. She doesn't even know that she should be eating. She doesn't know she should be walking and talking, she just lives life and does it with a joy that so many never discover. Tonight I want to encourage each of you to live life. Don't just walk around being alive, start living. Live for fun, laugh more, love more, call up an old friend, send someone a just thinking of you card, give someone a hug just because, tell your spouse, your pastor, your co-workers or your boss how much you appreciate them, do something you love but haven't done in a long time, honor and praise God with all that is in you. The littlest pickle has taught me one of the biggest lessons of my life and for whatever time I have left, I plan on living.

Goodnight,

DAVE