05/16/2008
Everyone
knows
someone
who
has
died.
If you
are
reading
this
you
probably
knew
Daegen
or
knew
of
him.
The
point
is,
each
and
every
one of
you
have
lost
someone,
a
husband,
wife,
mom,
dad,
grandma,
grandpa,
brother,
sister,
son,
daughter,
niece,
nephew,
cousin,
aunt,
uncle
or
someone
else
close
to
you.
The
reason
I am
talking
about
this
is
because
Janelle
and I
saw
the
movie
“The
Bucket
List”
with
Morgan
Freeman
and
Jack
Nicholson.
During
the
movie
I
began
thinking
of my
own
‘Bucket
List’
and
wondered
what
would
be on
it. I
began
to
reflect
on
Daegen’s
‘Bucket
List’
and
wondered
what
it
would
be
today.
Daegen’s
list
was
very
short
because
he was
only 4
˝ when
he
passed
away.
His
mind
was
limited
to
that
of a 4
year
old so
he
could
not
list
things
like
drive
a
Shelby
Mustang,
skydiving,
climbing
pyramids
and so
forth.
We
were
blessed
that
Daegen
was
able
to do
some
of the
things
on his
‘Bucket
List’.
Not
many
of us
are
given
the
opportunity
to
live
our
life
so we
can
complete
our
own
list.
Tim
McGraw’s
song
“Live
Like
You
Were
Dying”
points
to the
importance
of
doing
things
as if
today
were
your
last
day to
do
them.
I
began
to
think
what
other
people
would
put on
their
‘Bucket
List’.
I
became
intrigued
trying
to
figure
out
what
others
would
want
to do
before
they
died.
I
would
like
to ask
that
each
of you
either
respond
to my
e-mail
with
at
least
one
item
you
would
put on
your
own
‘Bucket
List’
or
sign
the
guestbook
with
something
you
would
put on
your
‘Bucket
List’.
I will
forward
the
information
to the
webmaster
and
start
creating
the
worlds
largest
‘Bucket
List’.
I
think
things
could
get
interesting
to
find
out
what
it is
that
would
make
each
of us
happy
before
we
died.
Be
creative
and
enjoy
this
experiment.
We all
might
learn
something
about
others
or be
reminded
of a
long
lost
dream
we had
as
kids
that
we
would
like
to try
and
fulfill
now.
Another
key
part
of the
movie
was
the
two
questions
that
Morgan
Freeman
said
Ancient
Egyptians
were
asked
before
the
passed
into
Heaven.
1.
Have
you
experienced
Joy in
your
life?
2.
Has
your
life
brought
Joy to
others?
I
think
without
a
doubt
Daegen
would
answer
‘Yes’
to
both
questions.
If I
try to
answer
those
two
questions
myself
I am
not
sure
if I
would
be
able
to
answer
‘Yes’.
You
see,
since
Daegen
was
diagnosed,
since
he
battled
his
cancer
and
since
he has
died
my
life
has
really
been
focused
on
Daegen,
Alexa,
Janelle
and I
and
sharing
Daegen
with
everyone
that I
can.
I am
not
sure
my own
life
has
brought
Joy to
others.
Maybe
I will
start
focusing
on
doing
that
knowing
that
Daegen
was
able
to
accomplish
that
in 4 ˝
years.
He
still
continues
to
bring
Joy to
others
2 ˝
years
after
he
passed
away.
Janelle
and I
were
talking
all
the
way
home
from
the
movie
about
several
things
in
Daegen’s
life.
Between
the
tears
and
extreme
pain
in my
head,
I
assume
from
the
crying
and
pressure
building
up
thinking
about
losing
Daegen
we
began
talking
about
how
Daegen
touched
our
lives
and
others.
We
were
discussing
Daegen’s
‘Bucket
List’
about
riding
in a
helicopter,
which
he was
able
to do,
riding
on a
golf
cart,
which
he was
able
to do,
riding
on
Thomas
the
Train,
which
he was
able
to do
when I
wondered
if
being
involved
in our
15th
Wedding
Anniversary
Renewal
was
something
that
would
have
been
on his
list.
Janelle
and I
came
to the
conclusion
that
yes it
was on
his
list.
Daegen
wanted
so
much
to be
a part
of our
renewal,
to be
the
ring
bearer.
I have
said
this
before
and it
is
worth
repeating,
having
Daegen
and
Alexa
in our
renewal
was
one of
the
most
amazing
things
to
ever
happen
to
us.
Talking
about
Daegen
being
the
ring
bearer
reminded
me of
a
small
mistake
during
the
ceremony.
Our
regular
priest,
Father
Bill
was
unable
to
perform
the
renewal
so
Father
George,
who
was
the
priest
at
Sacred
Heart,
where
Janelle
and I
were
originally
married,
where
our
renewal
was
held
and
where
Daegen’s
funeral
was
held,
was
the
celebrant.
Well
Father
George
was
not
our
first
or
second
choice
but as
God
would
have
it,
Father
George
was
who we
got
and it
was an
amazing
day.
Janelle
and I
realized
on
that
ride
home
how
perfect
that
was.
Father
George
forgot
to
bless
the
rings
during
the
renewal
ceremony.
You
see,
at the
time
Janelle
and I
were
upset
at
this
because
Daegen
was so
excited
to be
the
ring
bearer
and
wanted
to do
his
duty
as
best
man/ring
bearer
but
since
Father
George
forgot,
Daegen
was
not
able
to do
his
thing.
That
is
until
he
looked
up at
Janelle
and me
with
the
most
amazing
look
and
calmly
asked,
“When
do I
get to
do the
rings?”
You
see,
this
mistake
by
Father
George,
at the
time
seemed
like a
big
mistake
because
it
took
away
from
Daegen.
As it
turned
out it
was
actually
an
amazing
gift
to
us.
Daegen
still
got to
do his
thing
and it
gave
Janelle
and I
a
memory
that
we
never
would
have
had if
Father
George
had
not
forgot
to
bless
the
rings.
We
never
would
have
been
able
to
talk
about
that
one
exact
moment
in
time
if
Father
George
had
not
forgotten
about
the
rings
and
Daegen
so
brilliantly
reminded
us.
Now
Janelle
and I
can
always
look
back
and
have
one
more
memory
of
Daegen.
If
Father
George
had
remembered
to do
the
rings
then
Daegen
would
have
done
his
thing
and we
would
have
never
thought
anything
else
about
that
exact
moment
in
time.
God
does
truly
work
his
amazing
power
in
some
extremely
strange
ways.
Faith
really
keeps
us
going.
Janelle,
Alexa
and I
along
with
several
family
members
went
to
Memphis
in
April
to
participate
in our
3rd
Remembrance
Day at
St.
Jude.
We
served
on the
parent
panel
this
year
which
allowed
us to
share
out
experience
about
Daegen
and
help
other
parents
who
recently
lost
their
children.
Being
in
Memphis
was
again
emotional
but
necessary
for
us.
We got
to see
Mr. G,
we ate
at
Hueys
and
the
Spaghetti
Warehouse,
we
went
to the
pastry
shop
and
Janelle
stopped
at the
Atlanta
Bread
Company
as she
did so
many
times
with
Daegen.
We saw
some
familiar
faces
and
met
many
new
ones.
It is
a
constant
reminder
that
more
needs
to be
done
to
help
find a
cure
because
so
many
kids
continue
to
pass
on
after
fighting
so
hard.
Alexa
and I
went
on her
class
tour
this
year
and
had a
blast.
We
went
to
Woolaroc
in
Oklahoma
and
stayed
at the
Western
Hills
Guest
Ranch,
we
then
went
to
Fort
Smith
Arkansas,
Pea
Ridge
and
then
to
Eureka
Springs
to
watch
the
Passion
Play.
On the
way
home
we
stopped
in
Springfield,
MO and
ate at
Lamberts,
home
of the
throwed
rolls
and
then
stopped
at the
George
Washington
Carver
National
Monument
in
Diamond,
MO.
Alexa
is
very
blessed
to be
able
to go
on
class
tours
like
this
to
learn
at the
actual
places
where
history
was
made.
While
Alexa
and I
were
on the
tour
KU Med
held
their
Remembrance
Day.
Janelle
participated
by
reading
the
poem
she
wrote
that
is on
Daegen’s
website.
Janelle
said
the
event
this
year
was
amazing
and
touching.
I felt
really
bad by
not
being
able
to
attend
but
spending
time
with
Alexa
is a
priority
I
have.
As you
can
imagine
Mothers
Day
was
again
difficult
for
Janelle.
Alexa
picked
out
this
really
cool
card
that
allows
you to
record
a
saying
then
the
card
plays
a
recorded
song.
I was
able
to
record
Daegen
on my
cell
phone
saying,
“Hi
Mom, I
love
You”
when
he was
at KU
Med.
Alexa
and I
transferred
that
to the
card
with
Alexa
saying
the
same
thing.
I wish
I
could
describe
that
one
moment
in
time
when
Janelle
opened
the
card
and
heard
Daegen’s
voice
saying
hi and
that
he
loved
her.
Alexa
will
be
performing
in her
6th
grade
play
on
Friday
and
Saturday
night
after
several
weeks
of
hard
work.
Janelle
worked
very
hard
being
in
charge
of the
costumes.
Alexa
gets
to
play a
spirit
in the
play
and
has
cool
makeup.
I will
try to
get
some
pictures
posted
soon
so you
all
can
see
her.
She is
only
12 but
looks
at
least
16.
One
other
scary
thing
is I
agreed
to
coach
her
softball
team
this
summer.
I have
always
been
the
dad
who
helps
out
but
never
tried
to be
the
coach.
Well
this
year I
took
the
plunge
with
the
help
of
John
Chance,
the
dad of
one of
Alexa’s
friends
and
classmates.
It
should
be
very
interesting.
June
14th
there
will
be a
poker
benefit
ride
for
the
DMAN
Hero
Foundation.
I will
make
sure
the
flier
gets
posted
on the
website
if you
are
interested
in
participating.
We
will
also
be
involved
again
this
year
with
the
Light
the
Night
Walk
here
in
Topeka
as
well
as
across
the
country.
I will
try to
get
more
information
out on
the
walks
as
well.
Thanks
for
all
your
hard
work
and
efforts
to
help
us not
only
raise
money
but to
raise
awareness.
Enough
of my
rattling
on
even
though
it has
been 5
m