Barstool philosophy 101

Hi everyone:

I'm feeling a bit philosophical tonight, so please bear with me. Tomorrow, I'll try to get back to the facts, only the facts, ma'am.

Throughout this battle that Patty fights, I keep finding myself amazed by the way people come through to help whenever obstacles, however small, present themselves. It's like they know there are certain burdens that cannot be assumed by anyone but the person who bears that burden, so they set upon the other hurdles so that the fight can stay focused. I know that Patty has the stuff for her part, and that leaves me in awe daily. I'm just glad the rest of you are here to help with the rest of it.

Sometimes, the people who come through may have been little more than acquaintances, who suddenly demonstrate tremendous altruism without a moment's hesitation. I may not have even met some of you, but you've already earned my deep gratitude. Sometimes, these people are part of our day-to-day lives, who by their proximity cannot avoid much of the pain. In tough times, you're grateful both for those who grab the torch and run with it and for those who have helped you carry it through wind and rain.

My parents, for example, seem to inherently understand when I'm in a bind...and this usually means my Mom doesn't sleep that night. She's lost a lot of nights over the years. Our son Connor, at age 10, has developed a maturity about Patty's situation that I find both admirable and heartbreaking. Our friend Cindy (right) worries about Patty with a passion that sometimes makes me worry about her...yet through her worry still finds ways to extend thoughtful gestures to me and the kids. Our friends at Kickers help us with our challenges simply by making us forget about them for a while. I could write page after page about the many kindnesses extended to us, but I'd rather save that space for photos of Patty -- I think you'll understand. Please know that you have our deepest appreciation.

With so many people doing so many things, I can see that Patty has touched many lives. This, along with many other reasons, makes me so proud to be her friend. I may never get to thank you all enough for what you've done for her, and for what I know you will freely do in the future. As I think about how Patty may have touched your lives, I hope all of you also see how many of your lives have touched Patty's.

That's the sermon for tonight. We'll now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Love,
Brian