Love Your Life to Death
  • Speaking
  • About Yvonne
  • The Book
  • #IJustShowedUp
  • Events
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Shop
  • Contact

The Story of My Friend Chuck by guest Andrew MacLeod

12/5/2016

3 Comments

 
Planning our life and end of life is a gift we can give our loved ones. Chuck did just that.
When we asked his wife Gayle if we could share his story this was her response:

No one would be happier to share his story than our Chuck. He wished to lead by example in all he did.
His heart and his thinking were always in the right place, thinking of others before himself.
Thanks to his life well lived, and his end well planned, we all continue to smile at the
memories and the love he gave us. 
If by sharing your story he inspires another to take life as it comes
and make those heart wrenching final choices with conviction and love for those one leaves behind,
he will have done what he wished, leaving his mark yet again! And Andrew, you and I will continue to share in the laughter and know he's smiling upon us.
Go for it!

Here’s Andrew:
 Chuck was my best friend.  He was larger than life, humorously irreverent, loved a practical joke, was generous, loved to volunteer, and cared for others. I remember how it started.  Stomach aches thought to be an ulcer, were eventually diagnosed as stage 4 stomach cancer. He was given a couple of years to live. The news was a devastating shock to all of us.  Chuck had always seemed healthy. 
He was only 65 years old.
 
I guess he went through the usual stages of grief...anger, depression, etc.  Gayle accepted the fate with sadness but with a resolution to make the time left as good as possible.  Together they travelled to Newfoundland then to the USA with their two Golden retrievers.  Chuck gradually went from
the victim to the guy in charge.  Friends rented a houseboat in the Thousand Islands, swapping stories
and reliving old times. Chuck spent quality time with his two loving sons as well.
He travelled together with Chris and Adam, helping them through the normal stages of anger and depression and imparting his words of wisdom on them as any good father might do.

 Things gradually declined, but he was "the boss" of this whole thing. He put together a “death file” as he called it with all of the financial details and other personal information.  He organized his funeral and showing his humorous side, called it the “wedding”; a time for celebration.  Nothing was left unattended.
  I gave the eulogy which was not easy, but with so much already organized, my job was simple. 
 
He was an example to all of us to live life to its fullest, even in those final days.  He maintained that we need to make the tasks of those we leave behind as easy as possible, so that they have time to reflect on the good memories rather than worry about the details of tidying up. 
 
He wrote an amazing love letter to Gayle for her to open after the funeral.  Most importantly,
he told her to get on with her life and that he would be upset if she didn’t accept a new
husband should that opportunity arise. 

He was an inspiration to us all.
3 Comments
Denise Marcelli
12/7/2016 09:45:06 am

Loved this story, I hope that when I go that people will celebrate my life and have the greatest party ever. I have planned the end of my life but every time I hear something new I rewrite. Thanks Yvonne for putting this out there. Cheers. Denise

Reply
Yvonne
12/7/2016 03:19:33 pm

Denise, I'm sure people will celebrate your life, and grieve the end of it! I rewrite my wishes every so often as things change. It will be a living document, until I am living no more! :)

Reply
Claudette link
12/7/2016 11:49:54 pm

Great story...I am grateful that I have prepared for my end of life and can now live my life more fully.Thank you for the reminder.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Yvonne Heath is a Canadian leader, Transformational Speaker, Blogger, Television Host, Author and Creator of the #IJustShowedUp movement. 
    Yvonne is creating a culture of change and empowering compassionate people across the globe!
    Join Love Your Life to Death and support  the #JustShowedUp global movement today!

    To confirm Yvonne as your next life changing Keynote Speaker-connect with us here

    Follow Yvonne!
    Guest Blogs
    ​

    Best Selling
    Author & Coach

     Ann McIndoo's Blog
    Yvonne's Guest Blog​
    Life and Death Matters

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

You are welcome to share this site and the content within it. Please include a credit to Love Your Life to Death. The information included on this website is for education only and does not replace specific legal or medical advice. Please refer to your health care provider and legal adviser for questions regarding your end of life decisions. 
ABOUT YVONNE       SPEAKING        THE BOOK       #IJustShowedUp       EVENTS       MEDIA      RESOURCES       CONTACT       HOME      PRIVACY
Copyright 2019
  • Speaking
  • About Yvonne
  • The Book
  • #IJustShowedUp
  • Events
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Shop
  • Contact