"God Moves Us In Mysterious Ways" or "Listen To Your Inner Voice"

Dear Friends,

I received an email from my dear friend Allan Hardcastle in California. Allan is a Judge and was a Residential Life Staff member at The University Of The Pacific. We have been friends for 40 years. He and Father Robert Silva, Tim Griffin, and Craig Cruikshank came to visit me on what I teased them was "The Will Keim Farewell Tour." I have to use humor to deal with the seriousness of my disease. I do not mean to offend anyone or give the impression I am not taking my cancer seriously. It has my full attention. Once when I tried to read an emotional letter to an Alumni gathering at UOP, Allan stepped up out of the crowd to finish my reading as I was overcome with emotion. He is a good man.

He wrote to me on September 19th, "God moves us in mysterious ways. As Tim knows I just thought it was really important to get up and see Will and now I think I now why!" I had encouraged all four of my dear friends to get themselves checked as melanoma takes on a whole new seriousness when it goes from the skin to the inner workings of our bodies. Allan listened to me and went to see his Doctor. A spot on his upper left arm was diagnosed and biopsied as melanoma. The dermatologist praised him for getting early and thinks the cancer is localized. Allan concluded, "Thanks again Will for your inspiration. I will never forget it." While his heart was focused on being here for me, he was being guided toward a discovery about his own health that might save his life.

God does move us in mysterious ways. Please...for me, for your family, for yourself...listen to your inner voice and get checked out for changes in your moles, or other places on your body. Ask your Doctor to particularly check out your back. My daughter Sami had mentioned a place on my back and actually suggested on more than one occasion that I have it looked at. I don't often see my back and would forget her advice. Perhaps if I had been fully in the present moment and heard her words my situation might be different. That said, I want to inspire you with the lessons cancer has taught me without you having to get it yourself. Please...get checked out!

Allan came to give me his love, friendship, and brotherhood. The Creator used that good heart of his to lead him to an awareness that might keep him on the planet longer. For that, we can all be thankful and give praise to God. You matter...all lives matter. It is an amazing fact of life that every time we reach out to help someone else, more blessings than we can give are directed back at us. Curtis Zimmerman calls it living your life with a theory of abundance, not scarcity. There is enough love for all of us. Have a great weekend and make an appointment on Monday to see your Physician.

Blessings,

Will Keim