Giving is Living

9 pax joined YHC for a Wednesday beatdown in the gloom. “Giving is Living “was offered as a message for today, more to come later.

Warmup: SSH x10 IC, LBAC F&B x10 IC, 10 burpees OYO, The reacher x10 IC, LM OYO, DD calf stretch OYO, 1 minute whatever you want.

The thang:

The Police -“Roxanne”: Merkins  on Roxanne, return to high plank on red light

10 minute AMRAP – 1 merkin, 1 BBS, 1 burpee, 1 small parking lot lap, 2 merkins, 2 BBS, 2 Burpees, 1 small parking lot lap, etc.

Moby – “Flower”: on your six, Green sally up = 1 BBS, green sally down return to six, flutter kicks in between

10 minute AMRAP – Begin with your highest rep count from round 1 – ex – 7 merkins, 7 BBS, 7 burpees, 1 small parking lot lap, descending order until  1 rep of each

Chumbawamba – “Tubthumping” perform SSH to start, “I get knocked down” = burpee,  SSH when those words are not sung

COT: Prayers for Warhead’s family with the tragic loss of his brother, D-day’s Mother Eileen recovery from illness, unsaid prayers.

Message: I recently listened to a podcast interview with author, Mitch Albom, best known for his memoir Tuesdays with Morrie. Morrie was a college professor whom Mitch had made a promise to keep in touch with after graduation. 16 years went by and Mitch had forgotten his promise when he saw his professor,  Morrie Schwartz, being interviewed on the nightly news and he learned his former professor had a ALS, a terminal illness. Mitch reached out to his professor and he agreed to allow Mitch to come over. This led to a series of meetings on Tuesdays. Mitch never intended to turn this into a book but Morrie needed money to pay for his medical expenses. He was able to make a book deal and this chance encounter turned into the best selling memoir of all time, over 14 million copies sold.

Coach’s Most Important Lesson for Mitch Albom

In one of their final visits, the two friends sat together. Coach, lying motionless in bed struggling for breath, but at peace with it; the young journalist, observing how generous the teacher was with everyone who came into his room, and struggling to understand why.

Coach, why are you so kind, so generous, so present with everyone? How do you keep giving to all of us, even though you are the one dying?

Morrie looked over to him and responded tenderly, “Taking makes me feel like I am dying.”

There was a long pause, the simple act of breathing now required significant effort. Morrie then added, “But giving…giving makes me feel like I am living.”

He added, “Giving is Living.”