"I've Been Touched!"

"I've Been Touched!"

I'm writing this blog post during the Sunday School Hour. That's a confession. I'm playing hooky, not because I don't like attending Sunday School, but because I talk too much when I go. I'm not referencing here that I say too much that is controversial or monopolizing of the conversation, but rather that it makes me tired and unable to enjoy the rest of the day.

Well, that's not really what I want to write about today. I'm finally ready to put some words to last weekends' experiences and how/why I was touched by them. I had another touching experience yesterday at ONU which further offers me the opportunity to reflect on the things and people that bless my life.

On Saturday, September 28, the Second Annual Putnam County ALS Golf and Walk Benefit was held at the Pike Run Golf Club. My wife, Dorothy, and I both spent our early years in Putnam County and consider it our home area. She graduated from Continental High School and I graduated from Ottawa-Glandorf High School. We are both very appreciative and proud of our geographical and familial roots. We don't get back near as often as we would like to, mostly for family gatherings but even those are less often than they used to be. But we enjoy when we return the opportunities to see old friends and family.

Last year was the first year of the Putnam County ALS Benefit and it was primarily a golf outing with most of the proceeds being donated to the ALS Association Southern and Central Ohio Chapter on behalf of my ALS team, Bill's Backers. The initial idea was formulated by my sister, Phyllis Macke, but many other family members and other family members of persons with ALS (PALS) helped make it a successful first year.

But this year, WOW!!! Again the proceeds went to the ALS Association but the benefit expanded to include a walk and numerous others were involved in the planning and pulling off of the event. The number of businesses and individuals who got behind and supported this year's event was simply amazing!!!!! Over 130 people walked and 100 golfed to raise awareness and funds to continue the fight to combat and defeat ALS.

One of the really significant outcomes of this year's event is the building community of PALS and their families. The awareness is increasing of what PALS and their families are going through, who the PALS are/were, and how many others are willing and want to help when they know who we are and that we are in need. I was touched in many ways on Saturday - emotionally by the support of sponsors, the hard work of many volunteers, the smiles on people's faces, the seeing old friends and family, the meeting of other PALS and developing new relationships as a result - physically with the numerous hugs and kisses and handshakes - spiritually for all of the above and absolutely one of nature's really beautiful days. Thank you Putnam County for touching me!

Then on Sunday, September 29, the Annual Columbus Walk to Defeat ALS was held at the Fred Beekman Park on The OSU campus. This is one of three walks held each year, the other two in Dayton and Cincinnati, to raise funds for the ALS Association for staff to assist PALS and their families, sponsor support groups, loan necessary equipment, and provide necessary funds for ongoing research seeking cures and treatments for PALS. I was again WOWED! The Columbus Walk is approaching its goal of $290,000. The Bill's Backers raised close to $30,000 because of the generosity of over 300 donors (family, friends, fundraisers and interested people) and had 150 walkers that day - largest amount raised and biggest team!!

But the day was about a whole lot more than raising money. It was also about celebrating with other PALS and family and friends the tremendous work of the ALS Association to raise the awareness level about ALS. It was about seeing fellow PALS in a different setting than at support group or on Facebook. It also was about touching one another emotionally and physically and being touched emotionally and physically by family and friends! It was being touched by all those walkers from each of our teams being together and realizing just how many lives are touched/effected/impacted by this terribly unfair disease. Thank you family, friends, ALS staff, the Columbus Zoo, Brutus, musicians, and fellow PALS and all of our walkers for an exciting, uplifting, depressing, joyous day of being together!

Then, on Saturday, October 5, we went to ONU to be part of the dedication of the new all-weather athletic fields and the naming of the football field after a very dear friend of ours, Bill Robinson, Mr. ONU! Bill has been on the staff of ONU for 53 years! When we were there we knew him as the Dean of Men and then Dean of Students. Some of the other positions he's held over the years were assistant football coach, Director of McIntosh Center, Director of Admissions, Director of Development, and Assistant to the President. He's also a member of the athletic Hall of Fame and received an honorary doctorate. He touched the lives of several thousand of us - ONU students and members of the staff - over his 50+ years. It was a touching luncheon and dedication ceremony.

I had been a member of the ONU Board of Trustees for 19 years prior to my receiving the ALS diagnosis. I was named a Life Trustee in 2011 but had a difficult time making meetings since that honor. Saturday was the first time I'd seen many of my ONU family in quite awhile. They showered me with touches - words, handshakes, hugs, and several accompanying kisses on my balding head or forehead. I get a lot of those kind of kisses now! I receive them as the touches of love I believe the givers mean them as - intimate, but different than the intimacy of my wife's. Interesting thought isn't it - affection/touching can be intimate without implying sexual or the intimacy of lovers.

Which is a prelude to a final reflection on receiving care from a new set of people. I mentioned in a recent blog post that we are now receiving hospice care. In our case this involves a weekly visit from a nurse, a massage therapist (yep, not covered by private insurance or medicare, but by hospice), and an aide providing me a shower three days a week along with some accompanying less than attractive tasks. I receive a lot of caring touching - healing touching - physically invigorating touching. I think the work of an aide is unbelievably significant and as a recipient of this often not pretty ministry my life is made easier, at least I'm a little less tired and for sure a lot cleaner!

Thanks to everyone who has provided the healing ministry of emotional, physical and spiritual touching throughout my life, but especially what I've tried to highlight on my life journey these last few weeks.