Can you imagine being 8 years old and being told you have a disease that has no cure?

Or finding out that your life expectancy is at best ten more years? Can you imagine living in a body that slowly breaks down, despite the most earnest of pleas or the most advanced medical technology available?  This post is written in the hope of bringing you the life lesson my brother Jeremy taught me.

Jeremy lived to almost 30 with a disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which most children at the time died of between the ages of 9-16. Though time digressed his ability to walk, and eventually his ability to complete everyday tasks like feeding himself, he was nothing less than grateful. Grateful simply for the gift of another day, for the company of others, for the opportunity to give back in anyway he could.

He graduated High School and continued on to complete a degree in drafting, for his love of drawing and design was not in the grip of his physical condition. With the support of Microsoft and Lockheed, he patented a hydraulic system that went into the design of a new wheel chair, which later that year was featured at the Epcot New Invention Exhibit.

During his mid twenties, he “moved out” into an assisted living facility, more so to have that experience of “being on his own”. Though his wing was filled with geriatric patients, he was never phased by this. His family and friends still came by to hang out and jam to music, to watch a movie, or listen as he shared some new interesting story about what he had learned.

Often times he would be found down at the pediatric wing, reading to the children who had taken up long term residency at the facility. One patient in particular, Laura, was a young girl who had been hit by a drunk driver had may this facility her home 4 years prior. Her only form of communication was through blinking.

Jeremy patiently learned everything about Laura. He discovered that her favorite color was purple and that her favorite singer was Garth Brooks, that she had loved dancing and liked to get her hair done. Knowing this, he would bring her a CD filled with Garth Brooks songs and play it for her on his portable boom box that he wheeled around with him. You could not help but notice the joy in her eyes.

Jeremy passed away just a month before he turned 30. He never traveled or climbed to the peak of a mountain or felt the adrenaline of leading a 5.7 climb for the first time.

Jeremy was completely dependant on the care of others. Yet, he lived his life to the fullest. He did not feel sorry for himself, and if he did he never showed it. He did not have time for that. His attitude reflected the gratitude he had for simply another day, another conversation, and another chance to reach his goals.

I share this story about my brother, Jeremy, not to guilt those of you who love such adventures, but to encourage you to step back and reflect. Reflect on your dreams, what it is that you want to accomplish, and who you want to be. I encourage you to set your goals high, strive to be the best you can where you are, with what you have. Seize the opportunities that lie before you, utilize the resources that are available to you. While we are not promised tomorrow, we are given this day. Let’s make it count!

Note – this marks the 3rd year since the author of this post, Heather, passed away while working here at High Trails. Reading her words, and then reflecting on what has transpired since her writing, makes me grateful for what we have in front of us and the memories of good people behind us. Thank you Heather. – Driz

At High Trails Outdoor Science School, we literally force our instructors to write about elementary outdoor education, teaching outside, learning outside, our dirty classroom (the forest…gosh), environmental science, outdoor science, and all other tree hugging student and kid loving things that keep us engaged, passionate, driven, loving our job, digging our life, and spreading the word to anyone whose attention we can hold for long enough to actually make it through reading this entire sentence. Whew…. www.dirtyclassroom.com.