Today we celebrate Jacob’s 24th birthday!  As our family’s gift to him, we will “make a memory” today.  We are presently in the mountains of North Carolina and received 8″ of snow overnight, with more expected today.  Great conditions for sledding!  It was our tradition as a family that on your birthday, you got to “skip” school and do something fun!  The picture that you see was taken on January 10, 2003, Jacob’s 16th birthday!  He wanted to skydive….and he did!  What an experience! Below is a beautiful poem written by Jacob’s Aunt Carol…

SKYDIVER

Floating freely in the sky
You may ask me why?

To be free, free of the gravity of thoughts & cares
To soar without restraint, like the birds of the air.

Watch me fly without wings
Watch me live if only by a string.

Thrill seeker, adventurer you say
Yes & more for this is my day!

Please don’t worry, rejoice with me
This is the day I want to play.

Arms outstretched like an eagle’s wings
Soaring through the air I feel like a king.

Heart pumping, adrenaline rush
Land approaching, a gentle hush.

As moments turn into today’s memories for tomorrow,
I will rejoice for having fully lived,
Leading and not having followed.

Create a memory with someone you love today!  We’d love to have “24″ people purchase a DWR wristband today & pass it along to someone they care about in memory of Jake’s b-d!  Thank you!

Dear Readers,

Today marks the third anniversary of our son’s passing.  Tonight at 6:30 we will gather as a family surrounding the beautiful tree we planted outside the “Chapel In The Woods” near our home in the mountains of North Carolina in memory of Jacob.  Please take a moment at 6:30 tonight and reach out to someone in need that could use a kind word and a warm embrace…and whisper “this is for you Jake”.  When you read this, please spread the word of JAKE’S MISSION and forward to at least one person on your email list!  God Bless You!

“My friend, Bob Danzig, has an amazing story. Simple words of appreciation and encouragement changed his life. Bob was in five foster homes during his youth, and said he spent his childhood trying to find someone to love and appreciate him.

When he was nine years old, he had a new social worker. He said after she had done all the paperwork to move him to yet another foster home, she sat him down, looked him directly in the eyes, and said, “Bobby, I want you to always remember these words: YOU ARE WORTHWHILE!”

Bob says that no one had ever said anything like that to him, and each time they met, she repeated those words. They became an affirmation of appreciation that he heard over and over again in his head.

Bob graduated at sixteen, not because he was smart, he says, but because he got mixed up in the system!

He soon took a job at the Albany New York Times as a copy boy, and his very first boss was a woman named Margaret. After he had worked there about six months, Margaret called him into her office one day and asked him to sit down. He thought for sure he was going to be fired! She looked him right in the eyes and said to him, “I have been the office manager for 15 years – I have been observing you – and I believe YOU ARE FULL OF PROMISE.” Those words, on that day, gave him permission to aspire.

Those two positive messages of appreciation played over and over again in his head and ultimately gave him the courage to be the very best he could be. Sixteen years later he became the Publisher of the Albany New York Times, and seven years after that, he became CEO of Hearst Newspapers, one of the largest newspaper companies in the world; and he credits it all to those simple words of appreciation and love. What a wonderful example of how little gifts of appreciation can make such a difference in a life!”

“The deepest principle of human nature is a craving to be appreciated.”

~William James, Founder of Modern Psychology

I was meeting with a wonderful guy named Tony and we were discussing ”social media marketing”.  During one of our brainstorming chats, he came up with a brilliant plan…to catch people do something “right” and then give them a free gift with one of Jake’s Mission cards.  The good deed could be as little as opening a door for someone, or as big as donating blood to your local blood bank.  We needed to get some “freebies” in our basket of giveaway items.  I purchased a few copies of an autographed book entitled CHARGING THE HUMAN BATTERY by Mac Anderson.  This morning I opened up to the first entry and knew it would be my post for today.

“Everything that’s really worthwhile in life comes to us free – our minds, our souls, our bodies, our hopes, our dreams, our intelligence, our love of family & friends & country. All of these possessions are free.”  ~ Earl Nightingale

Mac Anderson writes:

“Think about it.  You can lose all of your money and start over.  If your house burns down, you can rebuild it.  It’s the things that cost you nothing that you can never replace.

One of the most important keys to self-motivation is to clearly identify your core values in life.  You must decide what matters most.  Why the need to identify your values?  Many people think, ‘I know what’s important, I don’t need a list to remind me.’  What they don’t fully understand, however, is that core values often serve as critical guides for making important decisions.  When you’re in doubt, your core values will cut through the fog like  a beacon.

We all know there are many distractions along the road of life that will try to pull us away from our values.  Sometimes we are forced to make difficult choices.  But a good rule of thumb is that when you have to sacrifice material possessions for one of those ‘free things’ that life has given you…you’ve made the right choice“

While in North Carolina a couple of weeks ago, our car’s alternator went out forcing us to pull over which happened to be at the entrance to Western Carolina University.  It was a Friday evening, on a holiday weekend, in a small town.  Quite a comedy of events began to occur, however, I’ll spare you the details.  What’s important is that I have come to realize that there are no coincidences.  We were meant to be at that place, at that time, to encounter Robbie.

Robbie is a police officer for WCU.  He was on patrol that night and he came to offer us assistance.  We informed him a tow truck would arrive within the hour, but he chose to stay with us until they arrived.  In the course of our conversation, he complimented our 2005 Ford Mustang.  We told him it had been an 18th birthday gift to our son, Jacob, who had passed away at Duke Children’s Hospital in Durham, NC.  Robbie shared with us that he could relate…his best friend, at the same age as Jacob (20), had also undergone a bone marrow transplant at Duke.  Happily, his friend survived and is doing well.  We told Robbie about the website created in Jacob’s memory to carry on his mission.

After the tow truck had rescued us, Robbie sent us the following email.  We felt his message was important to share with you ~

Dear Sir,

I was looking over the website from my patrol car since it’s a rather slow night in Cullowhee and I just realized that I never got your name.  I also wanted to leave you a quick note and say that I think the mission of this website is great and I wish more people would “Do what’s right” when it comes to choices in life.  It would probably eliminate the need for my profession but I am ok with that since it means I wouldn’t have to worry about the world that my 1yo daugher would be growing up in.  I also wanted to check and make sure you both made it back to Cashiers without any problems.

Officer RC
WCU Police Department

“Good Afternoon! Or should I say Good Friday!!

I am so very thankful that I got picked as a winner this month! Not only because it feels great to win things, but because I really hadn’t visited the Jake’s Mission Fan page and very well may have forgotten that I joined if I hadn’t won this month. I typically get my notifications on my phone and quickly scan them before accepting and forgetting that I joined. I made it a point today to read about Jake’s Mission so that I know the whole story associated with this new gear that I am going to be sporting. Very awesome! I will proudly wear the wristband and look forward to sharing Jake’s Mission with people. I’m sure that he is smiling down on all of this and angels are rejoicing with him…so very cool. Keep it up It’s so very difficult to lose our loved ones, but knowing that they loved Jesus and they have gone home to be with him makes their absence in our lives much easier….knowing that they are Home. Amazing, Jesus changes everything. A song came to mind as I was reading Jake’s Story and wrapping my mind about what you are doing….Smiling Down by Pillar…I hope that all of my loved ones find great Joy in listening to that song once I pass….because it’s certainly the words that I would sing to them. I’m really thankful for everything that you are doing and will keep you in my prayers. Have a blessed Easter Weekend!”

Bethany

Posted on Bethany’s email was the following quote…

“When I Know, That I Know, What you have down the road, When I’m sure that I’ve figured you out. Help me see that I’m small, that I can’t know it all…cause you’re so unpredictable” Francesca Battistelli

Contemplate the contents of this wonderful poem by Robin Moynihan….

IF EVERYONE DID WHAT WAS RIGHT!

If everyone did what was right

There would be no reason to fight

The wars would all cease

And love would increase

Leading the world to endless peace…

If everyone did what was right

~

If everyone stopped speaking lies

Then everyone would become wise

No person would ever get used

And their feelings could not get bruised

For the spoken word would not be abused…

If everyone stopped speaking lies

~

If everyone did his fair share

There would be plenty of food to spare

Vital energy would not be spent

On choosing to eat or pay the rent

Everyone could eat until content…

If everyone did his fair share

~

If everyone loved unconditionally

All hate would have to flee

As love would circle around

Then niceness would abound

And no crime would ever be found…

If everyone loved unconditionally

~

If everyone followed the rules

Justice and compassion would be our tools

No anger would anyone release

And going to court would cease

As conflicts would end in peace…

If everyone followed the rules

~

If everyone did all of these

Our Creator it would surely please

The world would be as he intended

Serving him with our hearts mended

Our lives would be forever extended…

If everyone did all of these

Happy Monday! 

For your listening pleasure ~

Click here for the lyrics!

I am Jake’s mom, and the founder of  Jake’s Mission.  Today is my birthday and I am missing Jacob very much.  In years past, my happiest moments were when my children were gathered around me.  I always felt that was the greatest gift anyone could receive, to be surrounded by the children she loves more than life itself. 

Janet, Joy, Jacob (far right), Jonathan

I had a great “reunion” with Jacob’s best friend’s mom, Gerry Perry.  We sat out by the pool, under crisp clear blue skies, and chatted about our sons.  We laughed and we cried.  Life does go on.  And yes, Jacob is in a beautiful place where there is no more sorrow, pain, or suffering.  No more doctors or hospitals.  Just glory! 

Today I received a gift from my son in heaven.  As I was going through my “special keepsake” box, I came across a birthday message Jacob wrote to me on my last birthday with him.  We had no idea at the time it would be his last.  It was my 50th birthday and the family had surprised me with a beautiful Baby Grand Piano and a very special video of my life done by my oldest daughter Joy.  I can still remember the look on Jacob’s face when I walked through the front door of our home and saw that piano, something I had been dreaming of wanting since I was a little girl.  Jake was more excited than even I was.  He had always wanted to learn to play.  Jacob didn’t often write me notes, but for this birthday he did.  I believe this is a gift I was given to see me through all the birthdays to come.  I have chosen to share it with you today in the hopes that if you need to tell someone you love them, appreciate them, or you need to forgive or be forgiven, do so.  You never know if you will get another chance.  Life is precious, today is all we’re guaranteed.  Here is a glimpse of who Jacob was….

“March 25, 2007

Mom,

What an incredible journey we’ve had through this thing we call life after watching that video Joy made and remembering all the memories we’ve had.  I always remember the times we traveled up to the mountains and all the memories we have to cherish for years to come.  Every once and a while I find myself looking back wishing I could just go back and do it over again.  You are the one who has always been there for me and helped me through the hard times, remembering those times of going to the doctor’s office when I was really young here in Naples and they would have to get blood from me but they would have to get like three people to hold me down.  Everything we have gone through has made me who I am today and given me the strength.  I don’t know where I would be without you.  I really am not good with this kind of stuff.  I love you and know that we will have many more memories to come. 

Love, 

Jake”

If our story has touched you, please share it with us.  If you have the ability to, please consider clicking on the “shopping” icon & purchase your DWR wristband today so that by wearing it, you can share it’s message.  We would love to hear your story.  Share with us whatever you like and let us know if we may post it in a future blog.  

God Bless You.  Thank you for making today special for all of us here at Jake’s Mission.