Day of Love, Family, and Friendship

Yesterday was just an all around great day. The kind of day that, despite only getting 2 hours of sleep the previous night (Parky Problems…), just left me with a sense of contentment. An individual deserving of all the happiness this world has to offer found love. Families came together to celebrate that love. And I got to spend time with many of my favorite people. People I’m happy to call friends. And through it all, the weather was perfect.

To start off the day, I went over to my friend and fellow Parky Paul Cluff’s house for a workout. Like me, Paul likes to do challenging workouts to help combat his Parky Symptoms. Paul is the founder and CEO of Can’t Shake Me (CSM), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of Parkys through exercise. As expected, the workouts were demanding. But I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the day.

After returning home and having brunch with my family, my family and I got cleaned up and headed out to the countryside to attend a wedding. Yesterday Molly Donelan and Paul Cupka got married, and I couldn’t be happier for them.

Molly is one of the most compassionate and all around coolest people that I know. Formerly a successful collegiate swimmer, she discovered climbing as a challenging and fun way to stay help stay in shape after college. Not only is she quite possibly the fittest person I know, she also has a curious and sharp mind. It is this combination of compassion and intellect that led her to establish the climbing program at Sport Rock many years ago. I can attest that her program continues to change lives for the better.

I don’t know Paul quite as well as I know Molly, but everything I’ve seen indicates that he is a fantastic guy. Especially now, having heard his touching vows at the wedding ceremony, I’m sure he realizes how lucky he is to have Molly. The wedding ceremony reminded me of the power of love to bring people together and become the core of a family. That though any marriage is work sometimes, the effort is worth it. I was reminded of how lucky I am to have found my own true love.

There were quite a few families with kids at the wedding. As I played games with my own kids I was grateful for all the joy I get from my own family. Of course, Kids can be difficult sometimes, but they mean everything to me. I’m also struck by the fact that, as much as i need them, they need me. Thus, we are a family. And I’m very grateful for it.

Many of my Parky friends were at the wedding as like me, many of them participate in Molly’s climbing group. As I talked with my fellow Parky’s and their spouses, children playing happily in the background, I was reminded that, despite how busy we all are, it’s important to take the time for friendship. How wonderful it is to have people that you can relate to. People that understand you.

What a fantastic day of love, family and friendship! A day that filled me with contentment because…I have all of these things!