[Anonymous December 16, 1996 at 11:08 am Post count: 93172]

#1166655

Wow Jake! What a powerful message. I’m so glad I checked in before I left for work. I’m sure it will influence my day. Thank You! Trish

[Anonymous December 16, 1996 at 11:35 am Post count: 93172]

#1166656

Thanks, Jake. That was lovely. And how lucky you are to have such a wise man in your life as your father. I don’t know what tribe you are part of, but I’ll send you my favorite Navajo message — from the Night Prayer — “May you walk in beauty”.

[Anonymous December 16, 1996 at 3:35 pm Post count: 93172]

#1057680

OK Folks here they come at you.

Cincykid, and all others I suggest ordering the bulletin from the NGDF “An open
letter to the husbands of GD” Well written and stated.

Will probably be changing Internet providers so watch for a new address. My proivder
still cannot find ot who in their company said they would sponsor the BB. Go figure

Positive thinking: WOW OK I will try and impart some of my wisdom in this area. I e-mail
guite a few of you all and talk on the chat line as often as I can. I was rasied as a
“closet” indian. What I mean is where I grew up being indian was not a good thing and as
long as we could pass for white we were white. But dear old dad did his best to train us
in the old ways that he was taught as a boy. I am sure as generation after generation
goes on we impart less of the old ways to our young but I have decided to try and change
that with my son. I am Indian and so is my boy and we don’t hide it! We wear our regallia,
play drums and flute and are seeking out knowledge that was lost to us.

Ok now I know what the hell does this have to do with GD. It does in the aspect of how you
look at the disease and yourself. When one is born they are given a path to follow that is
their life. Along this path are many crossroads, trials, hardships and yes plesures. As we
travel this path that is our life we have decisions to make when we reach a crossroads. Do I go
left, right or streight? The path we choose has the Trials, hardships and pleasures on it
already. They are just waiting to be encountered. It is how you treat what you find along the
way that determines the outcome. This is the way of the warrior. It is called the warrior
spirit. Make a decision when necessary and follow it to its’ conclusion. Do not second guess
yourself. Look back only for answers to questions that you now face. It does no good to
question past choices. They are done. Now decide what you are going to do to make your life
better. When I was a child I came down with polio and was paralized from the waist down for
a few years. The doctors told me I would never walk again. But dear old dad said that was not
my future. I made the decision if I could not walk it would not change my life. I made the
decision to walk through life instead of roll as it were. Positive thinking? I don’t know. I
do know that I decided i was going to walk and I did. I have Graves and I decided it was not
going to stop me from doing what I felt I had to accomplish. Did I have bad days? You bet!!
Still do!!! But I go to work, I camp, I canoe and kayak, and I make things with my hands as
often as time allows. I give them as gifts to people. I understand someday I may go blind, or
not be able to walk again or whatever. But the gifts I give to people will always be in my
mind and heart. I will still see them, If I can’t walk I will still see the rivers I have
paddled, the trails I have hiked and I will be happy. My dad is dying of cancer and is going
blind. The day he found out he is going blind he went to the trout stream and blindfolded
himself. He walked the stream and caught his limit of fish. He came home and called me and
said he was a lucky man. He was told he was dying and going blind and he said he was lucky.
You see he could still fish, and he could still recall the streams he fished as a child. He
will remember and he will be happy. I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face so I
will wrap up. Do not think of yourselves as sufferers or victims. You have GD and it is OK.
Take charge of it. Live the warrior spirit and take control of your destiny.

Gotta go and blow my nose. Thanks for listening and keep writing.

Jake

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