Be gallant, be great, be gracious and be grateful
"Be gallant, be great, be gracious and be grateful'– Jake Bailey
The video attached at the end of this post is amazing - this young man, Jake Bailey, is beyond remarkable. Perhaps it affected me as much as it did because I have two sons about Jake's age. But I think this will impact everyone who watches it. How can it not?Jake Baliey was due to graduate and give a speech at graduation. One week before his graduation, 18-year-old Jake Bailey was told he had cancer. He was diagnosed with one of the world's fastest growing tumours - Burkitt lymphoma.He had written his speech before his diagnosis and managed to leave his hospital bed to deliver it from a wheelchair. Words made more poignant than he ever could have perceived when he wrote them:
"My challenge to each of you, and to myself, is to continue to grow and to develop for the better . . . Forget about long-term dreams, let's be passionately dedicated to our short term goals, micro-ambitious. Work with passion and pride on what is in front of us. We don't know where we might end up . . ."
For those of you not from New Zealand, may not understand the end of this video - it ends in a spontaneous Haka - an incredible sign of respect. Kia Kaha Jake. Thank you for your inspiration.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9G1Swk26ac[/embed]Thank you for taking the time to watch this and read this post. I appreciate it.