A Celebration of Life

Friends and Family! On Labor Day weekend, we will be helping Bob and Megan celebrate a year of new life. In order to include all of you in this wonderful celebration, we're inviting you to send in e-mails with stories, pictures, or videos that you'd like to share with Bob and Megan. These can be personal messages of hope, inspiration, or gratitude. Use your talents to help us celebrate a year of healing and love for Bob and Megan. All of you were and continue to be a source of great hope and strength for them. 

Please keep your messages brief and focused on celebrating all that is wonderful with the world, in particular in Bob's health and good spirits. This will be a surprise for them that we'll video-tape their reaction to and post here on the blog for you to experience. All e-mails should be sent to Michelle Tschannen at METschannen @ gmail dot com by Friday, August 30, 2013.

Thank you for all the ways you have blessed our family this past year!

-Michelle

A Poem from Bob

I woke up this morning thinking I needed / wanted to write a poem called “Unbidden” and guess what – I already did! It was the theme poem for this year (you both know that I write and send out a new poem for each year as my signature theme for the year – this poem was written at the end of 2011 and sent out on January 1, 2012). Megan and I have been reeling with the awe, curiosity, and wonder of this being the poem for 2012. How did I know? Maybe the Great One knew and channeled it through me:

Unbidden
�2012 Bob Tschannen-Moran

Things happen
Overtaken by events
Emotions race
Unbidden

Blocks happen
Stifling creativity
Urgency impairs
Unbidden

Insights happen
Discerning truths
Clarity emerges
Unbidden

Feelings happen
Spilling over
Provoking thoughts
Unbidden

Heartaches happen
Gasping for air
Confusion reigns
Unbidden

Dreams happen
Revealing secrets
Hope arises
Unbidden

Breaches happen
Sudden terminations
Swelling grief
Unbidden

Connections happen
Awakening hearts
Restoring souls
Unbidden

Yearnings happen
Moving mountains
Cleansing spirits
Unbidden

Inklings happen
Subtle noticing
What must be
Unbidden

Shifts happen
So unsettling
The sun rises
Unbidden

Dreams happen
Unleashing aspirations
Possibilities emerge
Unbidden

A Poem From Donnita

I felt it was a beautiful invitation into coaching.

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare

to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

by
Oriah Mountain Dreamer

A Poem from Stacy

If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
come in!

Shel Silverstein

Hi, my name is Stacy and I took the Wellcoaches courses. Bob was one of my favorite teachers to work with. I am also an inpatient rehab physical therapist and have been inspired by Bob's journey. This poem means that there is someone out there who accepts you as you are. I am always inspired by such lack of judgement and unconditional acceptance of another.

A Poem from Amy

Throughout my struggles I have often recited the Bene Geserit Litany Against Fear from the book Dune by Frank Herbert:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me and when it is gone I will turn my inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Since pain (both physical and emotional) has been a very common recurrence over the course of my life - I adapted Herbert's words to develop my own Litany Against Pain:

I will not be in pain.
Pain is the body killer.
Pain is the assault on the senses that prevents clarity and peace.

I will face my pain. I will channel it over me and through me and when it has passed I will focus and reflect to capture its path. I will erase that path until all remnants are gone. Only I will remain; renewed and refreshed.

I have recited both litanies time and time again as a form of therapy. Along with other forms of relaxation and cognitive behavior I have been able to not only live through some very painful ordeals but become a stronger more cognizant and thankful being because of it.

A Poem from Jeannie

I still have the hard copy of this poem Bob gave me at one of the NVC gatherings a few years ago and it was one of the many nudges he gave me that pushed me to create www.simplyrediscovered.com - a blog dedicated to sharing my own experiences, loves and learnings with others. This was a first step in giving myself permission to just be me, be more compassionate and kind to myself so in turn I could give something much bigger to others. Bob, Megan and the LifeTrek family continue to be a very important part of my life and I'm thankful everyday for these connections.

Dream Big, Author Unknown

If there were ever a time to dare,
To make a difference
To embark on something worth doing
It is now.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily –
But for something that tugs at your heart
Something that is worth your aspiration
Something that is your dream.

You owe it to yourself
To make your days count.
Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch.

Dream big.

Know, though,
That things worth doing
Seldom come easy.

There will be times when you want to
Turn around
Pack it up and call it quits.

Those times tell you
That you are pushing yourself
And that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,
Determination and the right tools,
You can do great things.

Let your instincts, your intellect
And let your heart guide you.
Trust.

Believe in the incredible power
Of the human mind
Of doing something that makes a difference.

Of working hard
Of laughing and hoping
Of lasting friends
Of all the things that will cross your path.

Next year
The start of something new
Brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible.

There is only one you
And you will pass this way but once.

Do it right.

A Poem from Virginia

Variation on a Theme by Rilke

(The Book of Hours, Book I, Poem I, Stanza I).

A certain day became a presence to me;

there it was, confronting me—the sky, air, light;

a being.  And before it started to descend

from the height of noon, it leaned over

and struck my shoulder as if with

the flat of the sword, granting me

honor and a task.  The day’s blow

rang out, metallic or it was I, a bell awakened,

and what I heard was my whole self

saying and singing what it knew:  I can.

Denise Levertov.  In Astley, S. (Ed.)  Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times, p. 45.  NY:  2002, Hyperion Books

Maybe

Maybe we dance from this elegant place

discarding our vulnerable bodies

like old work-clothes at the end of the day

Maybe essence enters the air flying

like monarchs in migration past roses

and rivers older than wood wizards.

Maybe meaning and magic stand up from

the landscape like summer lightning,

and for one holy moment

all questions have answers, all journeys have a home,

all living the roundness and warmth

of a stone clenched right in the hand.

Or maybe like four-year olds we

drop everything and simply run forward

dazzled again!

Roberta de Kay. P. In Fox, J.  Poetic Medicine:  The Healing Art of Poem-Making.  180. NY:  Tarcher/Putnam.

A Poem from Erika

  This was a catalyst for deciding to move into coaching full-time to work with Bob.

I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance;
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

fully alive - dawna markova

Poetry Project

As many of you know, poetry is very dear to Bob's heart. In an effort to bring joy into his life and keep him in a positive mindset, we are encouraging you to comment on this post (or e-mail Michelle: METschannen@gmail.com) with poems that have inspired you and spoken to your heart. Be sure to tell us your name and what the particular poem means to you. We'll re-post the poems here on the blog, as well as sending them along to Bob. Our hope is to make a collection of poems that can be bound into a book of inspiration for Bob to peruse as he heals. Come join in on the fun!

-Michelle

Postcard Project

Friends-

The most wonderful thing is happening today.... Bob and Megan are moving back home to Williamsburg! This has been greatly anticipated by both Bob and Megan and they'll have both of their children, Bryn and Evan, with them to help celebrate this wonderful milestone.

As we all know, Bob's forward progress continues. These next few months are critical in regards to his recovery. Moving back home, while a wonderful treat, will also be a transition into a new normal for Bob and Megan. One of the most helpful things right now is a positive attitude and joy. These two things will hopefully carry Bob through his recovery and bring peace to Megan's heart.

In order to help them keep their spirits up, I am beginning a postcard project. Those of you wanting to send a positive greeting to Bob and Megan can do so by e-mailing me (METschannen@gmail.com) your name, mailing address, and the number of postcards you'd like to send them. I'll then mail you those postcards pre-addressed and stamped. All you have to do is write a sweet message and drop it in the mail. The postcards are pretty basic, so feel free to decorate them. Don't hesitate to ask for more than one postcard, also. In fact, if you want some for your church, community group, etc, just let me know in the e-mail.

My hope is that we can fill their mailbox daily with little greetings of love, joy, and hope from all of the people who care so much about them. Both Bob and Megan have stated multiple times throughout this process that they believe that they wouldn't be where they are without the support of all of you. Let's continue blessing them with our love and support with postcards!

-Michelle

A Reading from Bob

Things to Love About Bob- From Carol

Bob can make it through this and more!

Observing his endless energy

Brings out the strengths and best in all

Team builder with appreciative inquiry

Sunday morning Provisions

Co-creator of Evocative Coaching

High expectations for all who encounter him

Always has a quote for every situation

Non-violent communication

Never gives up

Expressing empathy in many ways

Nourishing our minds

My coach and motivator

One of a kind

Resourceful in many disciplines

Awareness of others and self

Necessary for so many people

Things to Love About Bob- From Lissa S-B

ridiculously LOVING
INFINITELY wise
a FAVORED child
ETERNALLY gracious
tried and TRUE
REVERENT to all
immeasureablyEMPATHETIC
KINSHIP rich

Bob is LIFETREK!

Happy Day, Lissa S-B

Things to Love About Bob- From Jin

All the 20 things about Bob are so descriptive of him…larger than life.

For me

Bob is a fighter, an evangelist and wonderful human being who is fabulous, amiable and reliable to work with.

Take the first words and you get few and far….indeed few and far between have I encountered someone like Bob.

God Bless! I continue to pray for a speedy recovery for Bob.

Things to Love About Bob- From Denise

Always learning, for he is

Filled with curiosity;

Always encouraging, for he is

Filled with hope;

Always inviting, for he is

Filled with spirit;

Always grateful, for he is

Filled with abundance.

Bob is a wonderful reminder about how the way we show up can touch others.

20 Things To Love About Bob

The following poem was written by Erika Jackson, a close family-friend and colleague of Bob's. We'd love for you to join in on the fun and submit your list of things you too love about Bob. We'll read these aloud to him as he heals.

Good morning all - I'm having a bit of a struggle finding happy today. So, in honor of Bob's love for lists and acronyms, here are 20 things I love about Bob. What about you?

Rebel

One willing heart...

Boisterous

Extravert

Resilient

Tenacious

Thirst for knowledge

Song-writing inspiration

CyBob - as Michelle affectionately calls him
Heartfelt conversations

Affection and admiration for his wife

Never takes

No for answer

Evangelist for love

Noteworthy

Magnanimous

Orator

Respectful

Appreciative Inquiry

Non-Violent Communication