Cancer Is A Lemon

Money is typically the last thing on your mind while sitting quietly beside the bed of someone you love and realizing they may not be with you tomorrow.

However, circumstances dictated my thought process a little different. 

This past week I once again was given the opportunity to teach local school children how to own and operate a Lemonade Stand. As one hundred 5^th graders listened intently, I spoke to them about the expense, income and possible profit of a lemonade stand.  Having taught this class multiple times, it seemed to roll off my tongue even when my heart was somewhere totally different.

You see the next day I would go to see my 13 year old nephew who was battling cancer and losing the fight. As I sat in his dark room with only a lamp on, praying and seeking answers, I couldn’t help but reflect on the faces of the boys and girls I taught the day before.  “Did they realize the possibilities, the opportunities they have? The ones this sweet boy would never have. Did they even understand the only thing that stands in the way of their success was them”? Maybe not, but I felt stronger than ever that it is our responsibility to teach and encourage them to turn lemons into lemonade. Because I firmly believe this generation will move mountains through difficult times and will personally be able to save the lives of cancer patients. And who knows, maybe they will say “their path to success started with a lemonade stand”!

{Note: On April 23rd, 2016, my nephew went home to be with Jesus}

LET THEM DAB!

Saturday morning, while in my kitchen cleaning, I received a text. “Can you meet us to film a video about saving money?”  Hum, definitely a first for this old banker and all I could say was, “what time?”

Of course as they begin to film, I was so amazed by the thought, effort and the direction that went into this Millennial- driven, financial education video.   Armed with camera and script, this group of young people had a vision to “teach” their peers the power of saving money. 

While many in our industry consistently talk about how to reach millennials, watching this group reminded me, why “we don’t get it”.  First there was the dab (hum… didn’t see that coming), a move that is a celebratory form of expression.  Now, while I did recognize the familiar Adele tune, this multi-cultured group of young people sang with not a care of whom or what was listening. They also allowed it to be videoed without practicing it…completely off the cuff and not a concern if hair was in the right place (this alone would have made me crazy)!

Finally, I quickly recognized it was their agenda and their time.  Apparently “they” had already sent multiple texts between each other to meet.  Several had previous obligations; however, the consensus was to let everyone “film” around their time-line.  One dropped by long enough to do her part before heading to a family function; others simply would meet up later. But no one was stressing over “trying” to get everyone there at a certain time, yet everyone participated.   As I stood watching and listening to them have multiple conversations, from religious dietary restriction to how many of them would hang-out later, to simply being driven to complete the task at hand, I realized “they get it”.  I also realized the only way we will reach this group of compassionate, family/friend focused, brilliant, innovative, and have-to-do-it-my-way-and-on-my-time generation; is to let them do the dabbing.