A few years ago I was approached by a group of VT State Troopers looking to do an event that would serve dual purposes. They wanted to honor the life of a fellow trooper, gone to soon. Trooper Kyle Young died during a training exercise, due to heat exhaustion. Not only did they want to honor Kyle, but they wanted to create a fund to help his 3 small children with future education expenses. I had never met these troopers before but was eager to help. Little did I know just a year later, I’d be asked to help with fundraising for one of these troopers himself. Yesterday, the State of Vermont, and the nation, lost a hero. Corporal Dan Marcellus passed away yesterday after a courageous battle with brain cancer.
I didn’t know Dan well, compared to some of the other Troopers, but I liked him immensely. He was kind, he was quiet, and he was the very picture of what an American hero should look like. Dan was not only a police officer, but he was also an Army Veteran. A man dedicated to serving others, running toward danger, rather than away. He was a loving husband and so proud to be the father of a beautiful baby boy. He touched lives before his diagnosis and even more after. He knew early on that his disease would likely take him young, but didn’t allow that to be an excuse to hide, to be bitter or to curse his lot in life. He chose to live and that was probably the most important thing he taught so many of us.
This blog will be much shorter than others in the past because I only wanted to convey a few things that meeting Dan has taught me. The first is to spend time loving your life. We don’t always have good days but we’re lucky we get days. Our families have us for one more day, we have one more day to make an impact in others lives, and we have one more day to love those that mean the most to us. Regardless if you’re having a bad day…you got a day, that in itself is still a blessing.
Don’t hate is as important as loving your life. Don’t look for things to hate in others, or yourself. We have enough, more than enough, hate in the world already, that the only way to combat that, is love. Be courageous in your love, because when you’re no longer given any more days, would you rather be remembered as the one that fostered hate or that overcame other’s hate with love? I choose love.
Don’t settle. Never accept good enough as enough. Whether in your personal life, professional life, or any other life you have…if it is just good enough, it’s not enough.
Finally, make time…for whatever sets your hair on fire. If it’s climbing mountains, make a date to climb a mountain; if it’s spending time with your family, schedule a family get together; if doing for others is where your passion is, do something kind and charitable and tell no one. Remember that the number of days you have is guaranteed to no one, all that is guaranteed is today. Today, I’ll make time to go to the gym, I’ll make it a point to spend some time with people I love, and I’ll not settle for a day of just good enough. I’ll do whatever I can to ensure that if I’m not here tomorrow, people will know that I lived today.
Rest in Peace Dan, thank you for the opportunity to know you and to learn from you.