I received an email today about an old colleague of mine. It was a blip on the news screen for most of us – including me. There was a fire in a Montrose Apartment building. And then I receive the email:
‘As many of you may have heard XXX XXXXX lived in the apartment
complex that caught fire last night in Montrose. XXX basically lost
everything.
We are taking up donations for him. We suggest the following:
Cash
Gift cards
Shirts – size large
Pants – 32-34 waist
Bedding – queen size bed
Linens
Kitchen appliances’
My heart broke. What this man has gone through, how he has changed his life in the last three years … and now this.
About 4 years ago this man received news that his lifestyle had caught up with him. He had to get a hip replacement or he wouldn’t walk. He was under 40 and done so much damage to his body from alcohol that he had literally deteriorated his bones. I remember visiting him in the hospital and all he wanted was a bacon cheeseburger from Barnaby’s [and the fries, they no longer made - but that's a different story]. He quit drinking, thank God. He never said ‘Whoa is me.’ Life hands you lemons sometimes – he couldn’t afford his hospital bills and had to take time off from work for multiple surgeries. But he came back. He came back happier than ever and more determined to love everyone and his life. I’d never seen him so happy.
This man loves everyone – to his demise. Before, during his recovery and after he was taken advantage of by some close to him. But he prevailed.
Now this.
He has no home [unlike the news article reads, the apartment complex could not relocate him]. He lost everything. I’m telling his story in hopes of helping him recover. Helping inspire positive change in your life and mine. Hoping to encourage him the way he’s insired me. It’s never too late to change your life. And, in true cheesey fashion – when life makes you lemons … pull yourself up by your bootstraps …. and do like your nails – Press On.
