Just this week I was asked by a student at the school I teach at, what is your favorite quote. While I enjoy quotes and believe in the impact they have, this question made me realize I have never truly thought about my favorite quote and the impact it has on me. After just a couple minutes of thought, I realized it was an easier question than I originally thought. I went straight towards the Jim Valvano ESPY speech and a quote that I will never forget and will always be with me. Jimmy V during his 1993 ESPY speech said these profound words that have always stuck with me,
"There are three things we all should do every day. No. 1 is laugh. You should laugh every day. No. 2 is think. You should spend some time in thought. No. 3 is you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it, if you laugh, you think and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heckuva day."
I remember the first time I heard Jimmy V's speech I was in high school and I saw it on ESPN. Ever since that day I think it is a shame that ESPN just shares it once a year on its network as it is something that really resonated with me. That being said it is something I look forward to watching every year on ESPN and provides perspective for not only me but the thousands of viewers, so thank you ESPN for never forgetting Jimmy V and the impact his words can have.
While that speech has had an impact on me for years, tonight I was able to see another video and speech thanks to the world of Twitter that impacted me and inspired this blog post. While I do not know Pierson Gibis, his story is one that needs to be told and shared. Pierson is a current Madison College baseball player who has battled through Cancer. I urge you to watch his speech and video below. I do not feel I can do his story justice so I will just pull out a couple quotes that really impacted me. Pierson stated,
"You don't know the meaning of a grind until surviving every day is a battle in itself." Later on he went on to say, "Each day is a gift and an opportunity in itself, that people need to learn to appreciate more."
Tonight, while watching Jimmy V and having the privilege to hear Pierson Gibis story, it inspired to write this blog and to urge people to embrace every day. Another very important piece to this post for me is that while watching these two speeches tonight, I could not help but notice and think about the letter and picture I have on my desk. I personally have lost one family member to Cancer and it has had an impact on me ever since he passed away when I was in 6th grade. My grandpa was one of the biggest people who inspired my love for baseball as any time I saw him we would always talk about the game and the horrendous 1990 Brewers teams. And every time I saw him he would have to tell me his stories about seeing Ted Williams play Minor League baseball. These are images and stories that I will never forget. As I have moved to the UP and tried to take another step in the game of baseball by coaching college baseball, I know my grandpa is here with me and would be proud of how the game has impacted my life.
The two speeches below share how precious life is and how people need to be thankful for every opportunity they are given. So Jimmy V and Pierson Gibis, I want to thank you for the motivation and reminder to embrace every day to it's fullest.
For anyone that has been inspired or feels the need to support Cancer research do not hesitate to do so at Jimmy V's website or any other local or national foundation. Remember any amount can help and to "Embrace every day!"
