Zach Sobiech

If you haven't been following the courageous and wonderful story of Zach Sobiech, you should check out his YouTube videos.

This 17 year old kid was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma and was told he had 6 months to a year to live.  Instead of going home, laying down and never getting back up again, this kid wrote some beautiful music, lived his life and has touched not only those close to him, but millions of strangers through his videos and music.  Yesterday, on May 20, he passed away and watching his final video, I found myself in tears and thinking of life, and what it truly means to live it.

The biggest mistake we all make is that there's always time.  Time is this abstract concept that none of us have a full grasp on.  We could be meaning to write or call those we love but keep putting it off thinking, "Oh, I'll just do it tomorrow" or "When work calms down next week, I'll make some time."  The sobering fact is, is that there is absolutely no certainty that you will make it to tomorrow, to next week or next year; there just isn't.  After swallowing that hard reality, it's time to ask yourself how you're living your life; are you living it to the fullest (I know many of us aren't)? Are you taking advantage of every opportunity?  Are you leaving a positive and lasting impression on the people you meet and form relationships with?

One of the things Zach said in his final video was how he loved nothing more than seeing people smile and knowing that he was the reason that he put it there; that he believed that's what people were here for: to help each other.  And I started to think to myself, "How am I helping those I love?  What kind of impression am I leaving behind?  Do I really let them know how much they mean to me?"

In 2006, I lost my uncle Tom to Leukemia.  The odds were against him, and he chose to fight anyway.  This was a man that did not take a single challenge lying down and survived several questionable scenarios (nearly) unscathed.  The only thing that was able to derail by "invincible" uncle was cancer and chemotherapy.  The biggest regret I have in my life (and I try not to have any) is that I never had a proper goodbye with my dearest and most treasured uncle.  I am a lot like my uncle Tom in many ways and my sister and I were more like children to him than his own kids were.  There was a definite bond there that could not be described.  I adored him, admired him, and cherished him more than I could ever explain and I never got to tell him any of this.  While he was in Seattle getting treatment, my sister kept me from seeing him.  I know that his appearance had changed due to the chemo and I know she was trying to protect my image of Tom; she didn't want the emaciated and ill version to replace the image of my uncle I had in my mind.  And by the time he made it back to Idaho, he wasn't really there anymore.  I never truly got my goodbye and I resented her for that, for many, many years.  I have since let go of that feeling and moved it into remembering to be positive, loving and caring to those I have with me now because, really, we never know what tomorrow will bring.

So, it's with Zach's videos that I am reminded of this.  I watched his video and cried, and remembered what was most important: the people in our lives and how we treat one another.  I feel that his videos will live on for a very long time and he left behind a great legacy at just 17 years old.  He has touched many lives of complete strangers and I am one of those people.  So, thank you, Zach; for your courage, your empathy, your spirit.  You have reminded me of what is most important.  May you rest in peace.