Dear Louie.
4 December 2015
Dear Louie,
“Can our generation cure disease so you live much longer & healthier lives?”
That is the consuming question. Fragmented efforts, misguided intentions (who gains from a cure?), ambiguous fiscal directives (where does the money go?), misaligned motives. How do we funnel funds for results?
The cancer coating your brain and spine has nothing to do with an unhealthy childhood or missed opportunities. Just bad luck. There is no known cure; there are some innovative ideas, only to be leveraged if/when using the same drugs in different ways doesn’t work. Many organizations make efforts to ease this time, bring a smile to your face, allow you to feel normal. If that money went to research I may not be typing this. I will own bringing a smile to your face. A lip sync contest should do it. Or a cute cat video. Please tilt the money to research.
What is our aim? The biggest what? The newest which? The most of those? Material acquisitions are tangible proof of our accomplishments. Because an intimate knowledge of them isn’t reward enough. Live moderately. Never obsess over what you have or don't. Spend that energy on doing. On ideas or volunteering or getting to know someone.
What if the billions spent on smoking was spent on curing disease? Furthering education? Eradicating hunger? That can go light-years further than Facebook shares. We can move mountains if we can out-wit tobacco.
Expand your thinking; our biased views of the world create these pillars of strong willed ignorance. Subscribe to contrarianism for the sake of learning more and accepting more. Believe in your own god, or not. Marry who you love. Let color or weight be the last thing you notice. Morality is arbitrary and subjective but we all know when we do something good. It makes your heart whole. Share your knowledge not so we know how smart you are but for the movement of others. Invest in experiences. Make an imprint. Save for the unexpected. Be a conservationalist.
With all my energy I just want you to be healthy, cancer free and have the opportunity to unlock your gifts.
Creativity, accomplishment, hustle, impact, ideas, love, fun, acceptance, healthy living (save for occasional indulgences…see fun)…..let those things fulfill you. Not acquisitions. I don’t always live like this, but I strive everyday to get closer. And each day I have you, will be the best day.
I love you. Mama
P.S. Mark & Priscilla…consider Louie when you allocate the first billion. Leptomeningeal Metastases from Medulloblastoma. And thank you. May this influence generations to give more than we take and share more than we acquire.