How to really live

Look I think I made a waterfall......."filling up and spilling over....its an endless waterfall."
the below note was written about David Lytle....below is the link.
very cool!!! love, Michele

David Lytle 2/21/68 - 6/16/07

Tonight I write in memory of my cousin, David Lytle.

David's life might not have been so significant had it not jumped course when he was 24. That was the summer he moved to Georgia and, being new to the area, allowed his friend to drive him home. His friend plowed the car into a concrete barrier, and David never walked again.

At first, David lost hope when the doctors told him the extent of his injuries. But, after only a few days, he realized he had two choices. He could sink down into self pity, or he could live his life beyond his perceived abilities. David chose the latter.

There was only one word that did not exist in David's vocabulary, and that word was "can't." David had a way of making his wheelchair invisible. He went skiing after his accident, learned to drive a modified van, and went skydiving. He travelled Europe, went on the most terrifying rollercoaster at Cedar Point in Ohio, and forever changed the lives of the people he met along the way.

Back home, David became a motivational speaker for others with spinal cord injuries. He gave hope to others by showing them that if he could pursue his passions, they could, too. He became an inspiration to able-bodied and differently-abled alike.

Over 600 people attended David's wake. Visitation hours had to be extended over two days, and yet the funeral home still stayed open two hours late on the last day to accomodate all the visitors. Sterling, the company he worked for, sent his coworkers in shifts to pay their final respects. David was an activist, a friend, and a truly beloved man, all while being sarcastic, side-bustingly funny, and a great ass-kicker.

David had three words he lived by - Move Your Ass. David's passing made me realize how petty all my bullshit is and just how long I've been sitting still. It's time to get my ass moving.

The are three phrases that describe a wasted life - could have, might have, and should have. Like David, I will strive to live so that those words cannot be applied to me. Nothing's too big, nothing's too hard, and not one thing has the power to hold you down unless you let it.

Thank you, David, for making me see - M

P.S. Go to http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=f6cd85b0-a0d1-4280-8e1f-51c02a3fb0ff&f=00 to see a clip of David in support of his best friend, Kassie, and her fight against lupus.

http://tinyurl.com/24lp4z

Rest in Peace David

David Lytle died this past weekend. He is my second cousin. He was a beautiful soul who did not let his handicap get in his way....He was a quadriplegic for the past 13 years after an accident in Georgia.
He never let the accident get in his way.....he still kept reaching out to others.
read the below obituary and the article about him. He started a research fund in honor of his personal attendant that died from lupus.
I guess his family was worried about him because he did not come home from work on Saturday....they sent the police out to search for him and he was found slumped over in his van........Rest in Peace David.......You are an inspiration to us all!
I bet he is running and jumping where ever he is and feeling the joy of moving his legs and arms again.
Love,
Michele

David wrote this letter below and appeared on the today show for the Lupus Foundation.

"The Today Show" on NBC this morning aired a beautiful segment on Mary Katherine McMullin Biglow who died from Lupus complications.

Since 1999, "TODAY" has raised nearly $400,000 for charity with the Green Room Book project. Past beneficiaries include the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance, the Hospice of Palm Beach County, America's Second Harvest, The Boys and Girls Club of America, Project A.L.S. and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. This year, we asked our viewers to nominated an organization they wanted to see as the beneficiary of this year's charity auction event. Hundreds of entries were received, and ultimately the Lupus Foundation of America was selected thanks to the following email.
My story begins 13 years ago when I suffered a Spinal Cord Injury that left me a C5-6 Quadriplegic. I have been using a wheelchair ever since. My particular charity is the Lupus Foundation. This is very important to me because my dear friend/personal care attendant passed away last October, one day before her 31st birthday leaving behind a loving husband and her 10 month old baby. Mary Katherine McMullin Biglow made what I did daily--easy. She never complained about her chronic illness. There are so many worthy charities that need our attention, however, Lupus doesn't have an identity. Kassie, as we called her, wanted to create awareness and she would have been a formidable leader. She had a lively spirit and definitely a joy to be around. She inspired me and she made tomorrow a place worth checking out. - David Lytle

David E. Lytle David E. Lytle, 39, of Litchfield Township, passed away suddenly Saturday, June 16, 2007, in Medina. He was born Feb. 21, 1968. David was a supervisor for Sterling Jewelers. He attended Ohio State University ATI and Kent State University. He was a former greenskeeper for Peachtree Country Club in Atlanta. He attended St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church. He was vice president of the Spinal Cord Association at Cleveland MetroHealth Medical Center. He is survived by his parents, James and Carol Lytle of Litchfield; sisters, Tracy Lytle of Lodi and Barbara (Michael) Lawson of Lexington, Ohio; aunt, Jean (Michael) Sheehan of Chicago; nephews, Shawn and Tim Reinke; cousin, Michelle Rihawi of Aurora, Ill.; niece, Dana Lawson; and godchild, Leo Raffo. Mass of Christian Burial: 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, 1800 Station Road, Valley City. Father Norman Douglas will officiate. Burial: St. Martin of Tours Cemetery. Visiting hours: 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm. today and Wednesday at Waite & Son Funeral Homes, Medina Chapel, 765 N. Court St. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Mary Katherine "Kassie" McMullin-Biglow Research Fund in David's honor, c/o the Lupus Foundation of America, 2000 L Street NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20036.



read this link.
http://www.lupus.org/MatchingGift/Kassie.html