Julia’s Man
My wife died of brain cancer November 20, 2023.
They say that grief comes in waves and while I have found this to be true, I would also say that grief has a current. I feel myself constantly working against this force and if I stop I will be pulled backwards.
I don’t want to go backwards.
Julia was a curious person and a lifelong learner; healthy in body, mind and spirit. She was diagnosed with brain cancer at 23 years old, and continued to exude hope, joy and gratitude. It wasn’t easy, it was something she and I worked hard to cultivate through a shared philosophy and a commitment to having a positive mental attitude. I am still in awe at how such devastation pushed her to thrive in her short life.
Now, as I feel devastated from her death and do the difficult work of grieving well, I find myself needing projects, needing challenges, needing places to focus my time, energy and attention so that I move forward while also holding on to who Julia was to me.
So I’m setting myself a challenge. One that will test my discipline and my spirit. It’s supposed to reinforce my commitment to going out of my comfort zone, to maintain the discipline I built as her caregiver and as a father to our son, and to demonstrate the same kind of courage, fortitude and lust for life that Julia had.
So here’s the challenge:
A self-made 70.3 triathlon in the town I live in now, where Julia was from
Fly to Scotland
Another 70.3 triathlon in my hometown in the same week
I don’t have a better name for this challenge other than Julia’s Man.
As I do this, I’m going to document my progress in fitness and grief, and raise awareness and money for brain cancer charities.
