There was a boy named Colin.

 

He was 17 years old, and I was at his celebration of life at a high school.

 

Colin died of cancer.

 

He loved being outdoors so much that the card they gave us showed him studying for finals on a beach in Hawaii while he was sick with cancer.

 

You could tell he was a fighter.

 

You could also tell he was a really good kid.

 

Unfortunately, the treatments weren’t working, and Colin wanted to stop them.

 

His parents eventually had to hire an attorney to help honor his wish.

 

At his celebration of life, they told a story I’ll never forget.

 

Colin eventually became so sick that he was bedridden. It was a cold November day—one of those days when the rain is falling sideways and it’s absolutely freezing outside.

 

Colin was sobbing in his bed because he couldn’t get outside.

 

His stepfather picked him up and carried him outside into the rain.

 

And that story has stayed with me.

 

I remember thinking:

 

If a dying boy’s last wish is to get outside, there must be something pretty special out there.

 

I’ve never forgotten that.

 

I run a couple of times a week, consistently, in all kinds of weather.

 

One of the reasons I’m able to get out there is because of Colin.

 

He stays with me.

 

And that’s why I’m sharing his story.

 

Get outside.

 

There really is something special about it.

 

It’s good for your body. It’s good for your mind. It gives you perspective.

 

You’ll hear the sounds of nature. You’ll feel the weather on your skin.

 

And no, it won’t always be perfect.

 

But maybe that’s part of the point.

 

I remember hearing an astronaut who spent a year in space talk about how it was always 70 degrees inside the spacecraft.

 

When he came home, one of the things he wanted to do was put his face in the rain.

 

Think about that.

 

Something we might experience as an inconvenience can become something we desperately miss when we can’t have it.

 

Maybe some of the things we try so hard to avoid are actually some of the things we need.

 

So there are a few things I want to leave you with.

 

First, let’s learn from the people who pass away.

 

Yes, we can be sad about their passing. But we can also honor them by living more fully.

 

That’s what happened with me and Colin.

 

He died years ago, but his memory stays with me because, in a strange way, he helped make my life better.

 

Second, find a way to create meaning around the things that are hard to do.

 

Yes, sometimes it’s hard to get outside.

 

It’s cold. It’s raining. You’re tired. You don’t feel like it.

 

But when I started looking at getting outside differently, I began doing it consistently.

 

Did it take time?

 

Of course.

 

But good things usually do.

 

And lastly, get outside.

 

Take care of your body, your mind, and your spirit.

 

Go for a walk.

Run.

Sit on a bench.

Listen to the birds.

Feel the sun.

Stand in the rain.

 

You don’t need perfect weather.

 

You just need to go.

 

There will never be another day quite like today.

 

And one day, you may wish you could have one more day outside.

 

We don’t have forever here.

 

Maybe getting outside helps us remember that.

 

Maybe it helps us appreciate this life we’re living while we’re still here to experience it.

 

So, I hope Colin’s story helps you take a little better care of yourself.

 

I hope it helps you appreciate your life and the world around you.

 

And I hope it helps you look at some of the things you consider inconvenient a little differently.

 

Because there is something pretty special outside.

 

And I don’t want you to miss it.

 

Wishing you not to miss one day of your amazing life.

 

Bert