It’s a leap of faith that personal responsibility will thrive

Cinderella Castle and Mickey Mouse on parade float
Yesterday at the happiest place on Earth.

 

Are you getting biannual checkups? Doubtful. Midlifer’s are lucky to make a single annual physical a priority, let alone two.

Why?

Because we’re busy. Really, really busy.

And in our busy-ness we are often slapped in the face with a much needed reminder.

Like an hour ago.

During our 14 year old’s bi-annual Gastroenterology checkup.

The teen is doing well at self managing his daily medicine. Dr. Erhart reminded all three (Cheryl, Chapin, me) of us that unchecked inflammation increases the odds of colon cancer 20-40 times normal.

Begging asking for donations is one worn-out approach traditional. Offering a compelling and unique product the world will gladly pay good money for is another.

Mid Life Celebration was founded on the second premise – to raise money until a cure is found for Crohn’sand Ulcerative Colitis.

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Awareness? by Lorie Sheffer, Guest blogger

Breast cancer awareness
Awareness is tricky… (photo: Lorie Sheffer)

Such a wonderful thing we’re doing; so kind of us to offer our support. To symbolize our awareness, to show we care.

Most survivors, or those who are working to become survivors, are touched by this show of solidarity. Surely everyone who has been affected on a personal level must be thrilled by our efforts. They must get some kind of strength from this sea of pink.

Surely they must.

I listened as someone who survived told me how the sea of pink makes them feel. They hate it. They want to forget the trauma of surgery, chemo and more surgery. They can’t forget. They have scars and nightmares as reminders. In an effort to think of something else, anything else, sometimes they get lost in a sporting event or a movie. Sometimes they seek solace in a silly TV sitcom. But the reminders are there. The teams are wearing pink; everyone is wearing pink clothing, pink ribbons, pink bracelets.  There seems to be nowhere to go where they can, however briefly, forget their illness. People think they are being kind. The intentions are good. But they never bother to ask, “Do you want to talk about it?” “ How does this make you feel?”

Sometimes we assume we know.

Pastor’s Wife Poses In Bikini

Worse Than Cancer
Worse Than Cancer

There’s something about a daily routine that is both liberating and, at the same time, potentially stifling. How we handle this midlife paradox is one of the few choices we get to make in life – after all, it comes down to attitude.

This story will help you if you’re not committed, and it will help you if you’re already committed. I do not make these recommendations lightly.

If you lost critical components to what defines who you are, could you pick up the pieces?

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Mid Life Crisis Candle?

Mid Life Crisis candle burning?  Nope.  It’s more like this:

“I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got to hold up for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” — George Bernard Shaw

Thank you, readers and regular followers of Mid Life Celebration. Your support is one of the reasons I write daily.  The main reason, of course, is to leave a trail for our son.  My wife and I are in our early 50’s and he’s nine.

It’s sort of like The Last lecture concept, except I currently am not aware of any terminal illnesses.  In The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and given six months to live.  At that time, his three children were all six and under.  He set out to leave a trail too.

If you got some “bad news” and didn’t have time to “leave a trail”, would there still be one?