Fight like mike tuesday

We are less than two weeks from the Winship 5k

I hope you will join us that morning. SATURDAY OCTOBER 2ND.

We walk for those who lost their fight , who are fighting now, and who will be diagnosed tomorrow.

We will walk for those who are limited.

We walk for the doctors, nurses and all of the healthcare professionals that changed our lives forever.

We will Keep Mike’s memory alive and share his love.

I am grateful for all of you have donated or signed up already . Thank you !

Here is the link , if you still want to make a donation.

https://secure2.convio.net/emory/site/TR/5KRun/Winship5k?team_id=3132&pg=team&fr_id=1260

I also want to share that on October 23rd , we are going to have our second Share Love, Field Day.

I have been hesitant to promote it like before because Covid.

Covid is for sure on all of our minds. And we are going to do the best we can to be safe in that regard.

We will have more details as we get feed back on how many plan to or would still feel comfortable attending.

We went ahead and had a ticket made , you can purchase at Sharelovethatsall.com.

If you did not attend two years ago, A brief description-

There was food, Beer :), an awesome DJ, the best Balloon guy ever, Dunk tank, jumpy houses, games, and much love shared.

We are going to go ahead and plan it, knowing that things could change and we may have to cancel if it doesn’t feel safe at the time.

We would love to honor Mike’s life this year, since we we were not able to have a service.

I will share more in the next couple weeks but wanted to give you a heads up :)

Fight like Mike Tuesday :)

A week before Mike got the leg infection ,

and ended up on a ventilator

for a week in November of 2019,

he had surrendered to his fight in a big way.

As most of you know, he kept working as the manager of the Dodge store throughout his fight.

He tried to balance, work, his family, and a grueling cancer diagnosis.

And he did it humbly and more bravely than I can put words to.

But this particular Friday, I remember him telling me that he had talked to my dad and Wes about what he was capable of. He told me they he decided he would take a step down from running the store. And that he would go into the office instead. Away from being in the public where he would interact with less people.

One reason being , his compromised immune system .

The infection in his lung was always a fear of ours.

Or really mine 😜 I was so worried about him getting an infection.

But the next morning after this news set in , my heart sunk for him.

He loved being in the show room. He loved selling a car. Or anything.

He love working with people. He was a people person.

He made them smile and days in “ the tower “ with his

Work mom Sherry , Randy, Michael , Ronnie , and all of his employees ,

those days brought him great joy.

And I was sad …

Sad that cancer had stolen this from him.

But I was proud of him equally at the same time.

Incredibly proud.

He was brave.

Not because , well yes because he never gave up.

But he was brave ,

Because he also knew that meant surrender to his limitations.

On his own time.

Of course :)

But he was wise.

He knew , when he had given it all he had.

And when he had to surrender to God.

The boys got this new sign for their room. Which inspired me every time I walk in the room.

If you zoom in my favorite part is at the bottom.

“The greatest fight in history “

My dad and I recently talked about this “never give up “

motto he lived by and our world pushes on us each day.

Keep going .

Get back up.

Live your best life.

Be positive.

Keep swimming.

Which are all mottos I live by.

And believe in.

But they only work. If you pair them with surrendering.

If you pair them with the reality , that you will get knocked down.

That you admit that as humans, we are limited.

Limited by injury , terminal diagnosis’s, memory loss, limited financialy , geographically, age.

Our body is at some point or in some way will become limited.

If you have ever experienced cancer or walked beside someone fighting it.

or any chronic illness or limitation .

You have seen and felt it.

A week after the decision to take a step back from work ,

he went in the hospital on Friday night and spent a week with a machine helping him breathe.

In the months that followed.

He worked his ass off and under his limitations.

We went to physically therapy twice a week.

His request. His pushing me to make sure we got it set up.

We drug his oxygen tank everywhere.

He went to Pilates , basketball games , did the runic cube a million times ,

rode with me to pick up the kid’s from school , went to restaurants ,

on Dairy Queen runs , and walked up and down our street,

dragging the tank behind him.

He made it to the office.

He took his brief case .

He drove himself.

He insisted he drive himself.

And he even put up with me texting him to make sure he made it.

( his look and eye roll live on in Jake , each time I ask him to call me when he gets home - from our house phone 😆)

All my memories from our last 4 months together are example after example of him surrendering.

And getting back up.

A week before he died , he made me take him to get 30 more oxygen tanks and a battery pack for a personal oxygenator He had Patrick get for him.

He knew he was limited.

He knew he could not breathe.

He knew he could not got to work like he did before.

But he could go for an hour or two.

Or go on runs with me .

but we could walk a little ways.

Or throw the football with Jake.

but he could do the rubix cube next to him from the couch.

And so he surrendered to that.

And he did what he could to strengthen his mind , body , and soul.

Right where is was.

In his limited body.

In the moment of the day.

In the very breath he was in.

This is what made his fight -

“ the greatest fight in history “

This is what makes anyone’s cancer fight , life journey, through suffering - the greatest fight.

Maybe he knew he was dying.

Maybe he didn’t.

I try to meet him in my dreams , and finish that chapter between us.

But I’m pretty sure I know the answer.

We tried to protect each other .

From pain.

From the pain of the ending.

Yet, I won’t let it end.

I won’t let his love end here on this earth.

It was too big for that.

For my healing now ,

It is in letting go , of the life you dreamed of.

To accept the life you are given.

To accept that my life is full of limitations .

My life is different and feels limited with out him.

I feel the grief limits me on particular days.

And that’s ok.

As long as that’s not the end of the story.

The same way I tell the kids, that we know daddy love is still alive,

Because Jesus rose from the grave.

That life continues,

When we surrender to the pain,

God renews our strength.

Renewed strength looks like.. Raising money for new treatments, new cures.

Supporting brilliant and incredibly caring doctors , who fight every day for a cure.

Loving on others fighting this disease.

Walking and running in races like the Winship 5k.

Sharing Mike’s love with others, whether through a t-shirt or a hug.

Sharing his brave story.

Admitting our own limitations.

Fighting Like him ( each and every day) …. And Surrendering the rest to God.

This is how he will rise from the grave.

This is how his story will give hope to others.

This wisdom he taught me in the way he lived his life,

this is what I want our kids to know.

That’s really all…

You do the best you can each day

And you surrender the rest to God.

That is the "greatest fight " you could ever fight!

(Fight Like Mike... Trust God with the rest)

Lindsey