How cool! A wonderful person who helps organize the Pan Mass Challenge noticed one of my posts for fund raising for the bike race and sent a log a nice note to help me direct my blog, facebook and tweet audiences to the right page for donations.
In case you missed it, I am riding in the Pan Mass Challenge (a 2-day event of which I'm signed up to do a (long) 1-day excursion of 70+ miles through Eastern Mass in the Wellesley area.
I am riding in honor and in memory of:
Coach Chuck Daly
Coach Jim Valvano and the V Foundation
Shelby Strother, the great columnist of Florida Today, Denver Post and Detroit News.
and, my late brother, Timothy F Lyons III
Check this out:
The PMC folks wrote:
I caught your fundraising tweet and I have a suggestion for a more direct connection:
Thanks for your consideration and a small donation, as I am determined to raise $2,000 to pay tribute to Coach Chuck Daly, Coach Jimmy V, and my lost friends and family member(s).
Sincerely,
Terry Lyons
As this is my first attempt at a bike race, I am entering the Wellesley One-Day event:
This route began in 2007 to accommodate riders who could only ride on Sunday or those looking for a less grueling ride. The ride starts with, what seems like a 15 mile descent following the classic Wellesley to Bourne route. Then the route heads east through Walpole and onto the Sharon water stop where riders returning on the two day ride from Bourne are arriving at their second water stop. The ride then heads back to Babson College
This ride begins at 7:00 am and depending on pace and rest times, can last from 2.5 hours to 6 hours. Most riders arrive back at Babson College between 10:30 am and 1:00 pm.
Timothy F. Lyons, who grew up in Levittown, Long Island in the 1950s and 1960s and went on to teach English at Island Trees Junior High School for over 30 years, died at his Bethpage home on Friday. His funeral is scheduled for Tuesday morning at St. Ignatius Loyola R.C. church in Hicksville.
Lyons graduated from Island Trees H.S. in 1967, lettering in basketball. He briefly attended New Haven College in Connecticut on a scholarship but returned to his native New York to earn his undergraduate (1971) and master's degrees in English at St. John's University in Jamaica Estates.
His love for education and his fondness for the Island Trees school district became the focal point of his life, as he taught English to his beloved students for 34 years. During his tenure, he also coached junior varsity basketball at Island Trees and North Shore H.S. in Glen Head, NY. Lyons retired from his teaching post in 2006. From his teenage years until last summer in retirement, he often spent time at Jones Beach and considered it among his favorite places in the world.
"Tim's early years provided the opportunity to experience life in a new rural community far from the urban settings most knew at the time," said Lyons' younger brother Thomas, 54, who hails from Farmingdale. "It was a great time to grow up on Long Island. There were new houses with wide-open spaces and no fences. There was Little League, Newsday paper routes and the heyday of rock and roll. As time progressed, there was a call to a new generation of Americans, the turbulence of yet another conflict in a far-off land and the onset of the radical culture of the '60s. Tim enjoyed the challenge of living his life during this unique time in the history of our country. And, there are hundreds, if not thousands of Island Trees students who benefitted from his knowledge and unique perspective as a Long Islander."
The family has requested, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following charities:
Some days, life gets you down. For instance, today I had a terrible day at work.
But, far more devastating than my 'terrible work day" were some real life issues that dear friends faced this week and years ago.
Earlier in the week, I heard the terrible news that my friend and cohort for 25+ years, Bob of Boston & NJ, lost his 37-year old son to an apparent suicide while he was stationed in Pakistan working for the United States of America.
It was devastating news. Unthinkable.
I felt the same way a few years ago when I learned of the loss of the Ebersol family when one of the greatest kids in the world, Teddy, was killed in an airplane crash.
Just how can a parent get through it?
Well, I hope I never ever, ever, ever know.
I can say this.
When I am down, from the normal disappointments of work, I have a few ways to get back up.
First, I always clear my mind when I get home and leave my 'troubles' at the door when I see my wife and two wonderful kids. I remind myself just how lucky I am to have a great family, immediate and extended. By extended, I include a real support group of friends, in-laws and other relatives.
When I see those two little faces, get that hug or unconditional love, I know the true meaning of life.
Secondly, if I am down and on my own in a particular situation (traveling the world), I often flip to a page that I have book-marked on my computer and at terrylyons.com - my own my website. It is a page of some great speeches, the best by Jimmy V at the ESPYs.
I watch it a lot.
When I am down, it brings me some inspiration, some spirit, some 'me against the world' attitude that allows me to frame an issue and fight back. Other times, it just makes me think.
Like Jimmy V says, a good day is when you:
1. Laugh 2. Think - find time to think. 3. When you are moved to tears - you cry.
Laugh, think and maybe, cry.
I clicked on Jimmy V when I heard about Bob's son. And yes, I will click on it today, after a terrible day.
