Life After Death

In 69 days the world, as I knew it, changed dramatically. My brother, Patrick died of AIDS.  I found out he was sick, spent precious time with him in the hospital, eulogized and buried him in what felt like the blink of an eye.

During those 69 days I learned so much about life, love, self esteem, strength, faith and family.  I loved our time together.  I loved our talks.  It was nice to laugh with him, pamper him...just BE together. I remember one day while watching TV he looked over at me and said,
"You know what you need?" Without waiting for an answer he quickly said... "a makeover!" We laughed and he gave me "the look" that told me he wasn't really joking.  I never did apply for any makeover shows but I did decide, in my own way, to revolutionize my life.  The first step was to live more joyfully. 

This year in an effort to live well (and get off the couch)... I am training for a 275 mile/3 day AIDS ride from Boston, Massachusetts to New York City.  I look forward to making new friends at the ride and releasing the last gripping bits of grief in my heart.  I want to celebrate life by moving my body.  Stay tuned for more about this journey. 

If you'd like to support me, I am collecting donations to meet the minimum fundraising requirement of $3,500 to ride.  Please visit my rider page to make a secure donation.  There is also a link on the right sidebar of this blog for even easier access. I thank you in advance.