Hi Friends,
Last week I attended a celebration of life for a very special man who was given six months to live… and lived twenty more years.
And what he taught me about life is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
Twenty years ago, when John was just 36 years old with two small children, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told he had only six months to live.
He told his doctors he was NOT going to live his life on their timeline.
And for the next 20 years, he didn’t.
He lived a life of service—full of meaning, purpose, and presence.
I had the privilege of having John on my show: Watch here
I also met John and his family in person last September when I attended Camp Weiser.
Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Camp Weiser is a place where adults with cancer can experience an incredible, fun-filled weekend—where you get to be a kid again and, for a little while, forget you have a terminal disease.
John was the camp director.
He worked a full-time job supporting his family, and this was a volunteer position. He wasn’t paid financially.
But as I sat in that chapel, surrounded by over 300 people at his memorial service, listening to stories about his life, I realized something:
He may have been the richest man I’ve ever met.
He lived on purpose.
With purpose.
And he relished every minute of it.
After the service, I couldn’t stop thinking about the play Our Town by Thornton Wilder.
Written in 1938, there is a single line in this Pulitzer Prize–winning play that has always haunted me.
Emily—who has died and is looking back at her life—asks:
“Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?—every, every minute?”
And the answer comes back:
“No. Saints and poets, maybe… they do some.”
Most people think happiness lives in the big moments.
But the real treasures?
They’re absurdly ordinary.
Like:
- hearing Shiloh snore
- eating a perfectly ripe strawberry
- watching a hummingbird hover just long enough for you to notice
We keep postponing appreciation.
We think:
“I’ll relax when…”
“I’ll be happy after…”
“I’ll enjoy life once…”
But Emily’s lesson is this:
👉 This IS life.
Not later.
Not someday.
Now.
Even the messy parts.
We miss so much while we’re multitasking, worrying, scrolling, planning, rushing.
And what we miss most…
is being present in our own lives.
Maybe the secret isn’t learning how to appreciate extraordinary moments.
Maybe it’s realizing there were never any ordinary ones to begin with.
How often do we miss our own lives while we’re busy living them?
So many in the plant-based world are hyper-focused on longevity…
that they completely miss the here and now.
This is your gentle reminder to actually inhabit your life while you still have it—
instead of always waiting for the next thing.
Because you never know how many moments you have left.
Love & Loving Every Moment,
Chef AJ
John’s memorial service ended with a song I had never heard before that deeply moved me. It’s called Saying Goodbye.
These are the lyrics:
Saying goodbye, going away
Seems like goodbye’s such a hard thing to say
Touching a hand, wondering why
It’s time for saying goodbye
Saying goodbye, why is it sad?
Makes us remember the good times we’ve had
Much more to say, foolish to try
It’s time for saying goodbye
Dont want to leave, but we both know
Sometimes it’s better to go
Somehow I know we’ll meet again
Not sure quite where, and I dont know just when
You’re in my heart, so until then
Wanna smile, wanna cry
Saying goodbye
La la la la la la la la
It’s time for saying goodbye
Health Update
On May 22, just 3 days after I move, I will be having another PEF Lung Ablation. They will also biopsy the tumor and metastases to determine if it is actual cancer growth and spread or inflammation. I am not really looking forward to this but I am happy I will have my “Anesthesia Angel,” Dr Michel Kessler, back in the OR with me and Dr. Thomas. Here is how Dr. Kessler helped me overcome my 43-year fear of anesthesia.
Honestly, I don’t know how much more of any treatment I can tolerate and I am seriously considering walking away from all treatment entirely to live the rest of my life having fun in the sun.
🐾 🦴 From the Puppy Files
Shiloh and Trixie are resting up…
Because in just two days, we move to Indio (NOT India 😂).
And it’s time for…
Trixie is all ready for the sun.
With Love & Laughter,
