Gonna Fly Now- Fly Fly Fly

Last Saturday, I took a spin class at the Y on a whim. This was not a smart idea. I spent a difficult 55 minutes pedaling, readjusting the bike, and feeling very out of shape. When the instructor called out "Last song, remember why you're here!" I was relieved. I then found out that this class' traditional end song was the Rocky theme. I thought of Rocky running through South Philadelphia. I thought of the many times I played the song as a member of the Drexel Pep Band. I thought of Pat and his beautiful blog post. And of course, I thought of Dan.

Dan challenged himself from the time he was very young. He started climbing steps when he was 7 months old. He was the youngest in his class but he was consistently among the top students. He was not a big guy, but he played football for 8 years with St. Helena 's and for Cardinal  Dougherty. He played with a lot of heart.

My Grandpa took this photo of Dan playing Freshman Football. Dan is #10.

When CD assigned the coaching duties for the wrestling team to a teacher who didn't know the sport well, Dan volunteered to coach them himself.

He was a good coach but tough.  Many laps were run under Dan's coaching!

Dan played softball with the Five Points Hellfish, and the summer that he was sick was no exception. He carried the heart of the team that summer.

"Lefty" playing softball in 2012 with the Hellfish.

 He jumped out of a plane!

Yup.  That kid could have an adventure.

Not only did Dan challenge himself, but he challenged others around him.  He certainly encouraged me.  I started to think that doing something to push your boundaries would be a great way to honor Dan this summer, and I felt compelled to invite you to do the same.  You don't have to jump out of a plane but you can do a lot of things!

You can support a cause and run in a race.

Or bike for a cause like Ben and Stacie (MS and the ADA, respectively).

You can take a dive of your own... Sky or otherwise.

Pat leaps into the bay.

You can get on that scary looking roller coaster, and sit in the front.  Because, to quote Colleen, "It will be awesome!"

Ben and Colleen on the Sidewinder in Hershey Park.

You could get on a boat with 22 of your closest relatives- and then camp with them afterwards.

2013 Red Baron Memorial Fishing Trip.  Lunkers for Unker!

You can watch the sun rise in a new location.

Dan saw this sunrise in Wildwood

You can learn to play a new game.

Dan teaches Doggie Dad to play Ladder Ball.

You can paddle out into the open channel.
 

Ben paddles in the bay, 2010.

You can eat something ridiculous!

Dan won this lobster dinner in a claw machine.

You can go on adventure and see something you haven't before.

 

The Zerbes took a road trip over the summer and saw caves, mines, the Grand Canyon, and Circque!

Dan giving the world a thumb's up!

You may not succeed at these new endeavors (at least at first) but each attempt will help you grow. So push yourself hard to succeed!  Just know that whatever you do, Dan would have enjoyed hearing all about these new adventures. He would encourage you to push yourself to try something else. But most of all, he would be happy to know that you were enjoying life.

The Yellow Rose

Lex's Roses

My cousin, Lex, planted some yellow roses this spring in honor of Dan. They are taking off nicely!

Yellow roses are an especially poignant reminder of Dan's courage throughout his fight with cancer.  Dan participated in the Livestrong Challenge for 5 years after his liver resection.  (He even missed the Penn State vs. Notre Dame football game in 2006 to participate!) He also served as a mentor in the organization.  The Livestorng Foundation promotes a positive attitude as a major factor in a patients' cancer battle. Dan felt that it was very important to give back to those who provided him with support when he most needed it.

Dan always rode in the 10 mile bike race and never placed further back in the pack than 4th place.  He even won the race a few times. Cancer patients and survivors who cross the finish line at the Challenge are given a yellow rose to celebrate their triumph over cancer.  Like Dan, they are all winners.

Thank you Lex for honoring Dan and for sharing your beautiful roses with us!

 

Dan accepts his victory rose in 2007.

Hot Potato

When Ben and I were still living in an apartment in Delaware, my family joined us one evening for a Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers movie night.  I served burgers and potato salad and onion rings (to tie into the Lord of the Rings theme.) In a spur of Martha-ism, I made a red, white, and blue potato salad.  For some reason, Dan was freaked out by the blue potatoes and refused to eat the salad. Very odd, considering that this was the guy who would eat Mongolian Beef omlettes.

I had not purchased purple potatoes for 10 years but bought a bag of tri colored potatoes today, with the intention of making potato salad.  I brought the water and potatoes to a boil, stepped away for a while, and returned when the timer went off.  I looked into the pot and the water had turned bright blue.  I tried to test the potatoes for doneness and found that all of the blue ones had completely disintegrated in the pot.  The red and white ones were fine. 

It seems that someone was still voicing his opinion about purple potates!

This picture has nothing to do with potato salad but I like Dan's expression.

 The guys on the fishing trip will have to remember this for the potato salad contest in August.

Shane and Dan

This is my Aunt Nancy's favorite photo of Dan.  It has been sitting on the entertainment center in her home for over 20 years.

We spent a lot of time with our cousins growing up... especially the ones on my Mom's side of the family.  There were quite a few times when the kids all piled into my parents' van or the Hops' Chevy Suburban and went on an adventure.  Trips to the zoo, haunted hay rides, the boardwalk, Chinatown and the Philadelphia Light Shows... Whenever I hear of someone not having a pack of cousins, I think that their childhood had to be comparitively boring. Much quieter than mine, anyway!

Four

I'm looking out into the yard, and the candle is flickering in the lantern next to Dan's tree.  Four months have passed since I last saw Dan.  In some ways, those months have crawled.  In others, they have flown. When it's been too hard to come to grips with this, I have looked for ways to remember him in a positive way.

I honored his memory today by eating one of his favortite foods: Primo Hoagies.  I wanted to buy some hot pepper shooters, but they were completely sold out when I got there.  I served these for Dan the first time that he came to the house.  He was the best dinner guest to have over, because he always tried everything and gave honest feedback on whatever was served. I miss seeing him at my table, but I know that as time goes on we will continue to tell stories of Dan, so that he will still be with us in a different way.

The Road Goes Ever On

"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.


The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone.
Let others follow, if they can!
Let them a journey new begin.
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings