Sweatshirt Weather

 

 Today was a beautiful fall day.  The sky was blue and painted with wisps of clouds.  The autumn sun shone in a shade of gold we only see in the fall.  The air was crisp, a word we seem to only use in the fall, with the temperatures in the low 50s and a nice breeze.  It was a perfect kind of fall day.  It was the first really nice fall kind of day.  It was sweatshirt weather. 

I did not set out to take a long walk, hike, or bike ride.  There was no plan to smoke a cigar or have lunch outside.  I had a fair amount of schoolwork to attend to.  I only went outside when I ran some errands that I needed to do today.  I do believe when one is really busy, a little break to enjoy to outdoors is even more meaningful, more special, than if had spent the whole day outside.

While in the center of town, I took some photos.  It was hard to find scenes with vibrant colors for the photos.  Most of the trees still had green leaves.  I remember hearing a news report back in September that predicted the fall colors were going to be muted this year because the cool down was going to gradual.  We would miss the vibrant reds and oranges.  The transition would be slow from green to muted yellow to brown.  That is exactly what happened.

 

 

  

 

Historically, before the reality of climate change, by Halloween, all the leaves would have fallen.  That has not been for case for, I want to say, the past ten years.  The winters in the past several years have been temperate as well.  Oddly, the prediction for winter is for a colder and snowier one because a La Niña weather pattern is expected.  Google’s AI summary is for a “potentially very cold and snowy, with forecasts for a stormy season featuring multiple large snowfalls” for Chicagoland.  I know I in the minority on this, but I would love to see an old fashioned winter with some below zero cold spells and a few blizzards that results a snow day or two.

Winter will be what it will be.  I sure did enjoy this lovely fall day.

 

Postscript:  Well… I had this post three-quarters done when Microsoft informed that there was an update to Word.  I saved the document, closed Word, and restarted as is the protocol for an update.  Much to my surprise, everything I had typed was gone.  All that remained was the title.  I am not sure what I did or didn’t do but it gone.  I have to assume it was my fault.  It has been a long while since that kind of boneheaded thing has happened.

It is also clear that I had not used AI to write the post.  If I had I could have simply copy and pasted the content again, or if I had signed out, I could simply reenter the prompt and have a brand new version to cut and paste.  My only options were to rewrite it or forget about it entirely and live to blog another day.  I opted for re-writing it.

 

  

 

The Same Old 6 and 7

 

Young people always have slang that us older folks don’t understand.  The life span of these slang terms is very short.  Words and phrase are always entering and leaving the slang lexicon of young people.  Thankfully, the Wall Street Journal will occasionally publish an article presenting and explaining the latest slew of terms.  Because of this wonderful service from the Journal my kids were surprised when I would throw one of these words or terms.

A recent article in the Journal, The Numbers Six and Seven Are Making Life Hell for Math Teachers, introduced the latest piece of slang is taking over classrooms and social media feeds, leaving teachers and older generations scratching their heads: the phrase "6-7" (often pronounced "six-sev-eeennn"). This simple numerical pairing, frequently accompanied by an excited, palms-up hand gesture, has become a linguistic rage for a generation of young teens and kids, collectively known as Gen Alpha. Its rise is a perfect case study in how modern memes are born, spread, and evolve into a cultural phenomenon that signals who is "in" on the joke.

Per the Journal article:

Math teacher Cara Bearden braces herself for any equation that yields the two numbers, knowing her students will immediately scream them right back at her. “SIX Sevennnnnn,” they squeal with a palms-up, seesaw hand gesture that looks somewhere between juggling and melon handling. The meme is ripping across the internet and spilling into real life, especially at school.

“If you’re like, ‘Hey, you need to do questions six, seven,’ they just immediately start yelling, ‘Six Seven!’” says Bearden, who teaches sixth- and eighth-graders at Austin Peace Academy in Austin, Texas. “It’s like throwing catnip at cats.” 

The root of this "6-7" is a rap track "Doot Doot (6 7)" by artist Skrilla, released in 2024. The song snippet quickly went viral on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. Its popularity was significantly amplified by a loose connection to the world of sports, as the audio was often used in video edits featuring NBA star LaMelo Ball, who famously stands at 6 feet 7 inches. This association helped cement the phrase in the minds of young users. The trend achieved full-blown meme status thanks to subsequent viral moments, including a video of a high school basketball prospect using the phrase and another of a young boy (dubbed the "6-7 Kid") enthusiastically shouting it at a game, complete with the now-iconic hand gesture.

 

 

"6-7" is a joke with no punchline; it doesn't actually mean anything. It functions as an absurd, random exclamation, often shouted when the numbers "six" or "seven" are mentioned, or sometimes, for no reason at all. Communication experts and linguists note that its very meaninglessness is its power; it serves purely as a social tool. By using "6-7," kids and teens create a shared language that instantly identifies their peers and separates them from outsiders, a classic generational practice that reflects the rapidly changing nature of digital culture.  And… it is fun.

But it is not as new and recent as we all think. 

Let’s go back to the 1970s.  I was in my mid-twenties working at Ford Motor Company.  One of my work colleagues was an engineer, a proud Purdue graduate, named Bill Granberry.  He was a few years older than me, great fellow, and a good work friend.  One day, we were talking, and I was expressing bewilderment at something, perhaps an organizational move, or product decision.  Bill kept saying “it’s the same old 6 and 7” which I thought was his attempt to clear up my bewilderment.  As it meant nothing to me, I finally asked out of a bit of frustration, “What is 6 and 7?”  He paused a second, looked at me and said, “13.”  After another moment, we both started laughing.  Bill got me.

Upon learning of the current “6 7” craze, it made me think of Bill’s use of it 50 years ago.  So, in summation, all I can is what’s old is new again.

Michigan Football 2025 Season Thus Far

 

I am watching the Michigan v Washington football game as I write this.  This is the week after Michigan got smoked by Southern Cal 31-13.  Washington kicked off to Michigan who prompted did nothing on 1^st and 2^nd down to have a have a 3^rd and 9.  Underwood completed a pass, but it was short of the first down forcing Michigan to punt. 

Michigan punted.  Washington promptly ripped off two first downs borrowing a bit from the Southern Cal playbook from last week (effective screen passes).  After that the Michigan defense toughened up and forced a punt. 

Michigan took over and the offense looked more like it should to us Michigan fans.  They had a few gutty runs for decent yards, a reverse, and some good passes.  After two first downs, they were penalized for holding and faced with a 1^st and 20.  They got to 4^th and 1.  But, Semaj Morgan dropped a swing pass that would have clearly been a first down.

Washington’s first play was a 48 pass to the Michigan 19.  Michigan held them forcing a 3^rd and 9 which ended up being an incomplete pass in the endzone.  Washington attempted a field goal which, whew, went wide right. 

Michigan is a very young team.  Our quarterback is a freshman who shows signs of brilliance and, more importantly to me, showing signs of improvement.  With an injury in this game to a senior offensive tackle, half of the offensive line are redshirt freshmen.  The Last year was a rebuilding year.  The cupboard was bare after the 2023 National Championship Season, and we had five losses going into the Ohio State game which was a brilliant upset.  Michigan put an exclamation point on the season by then beating Alabama.  We did not have a spectacular offense, but our defense got stingier with each game and ended up being very strong in the impressive wins over Ohio State and Alabama.

There is promise on this team and I am still optimistic given our that we have two losses to Oklahoma and Southern Cal.  If Michigan beats Washington, most pundits think they should win their remaining games until the regular season finale versus Ohio State which is in Ann Arbor on November 30^th.  If that happens and then if Michigan beats Ohio State for a 5^th straight time, Michigan should have a chance for the championship playoffs. 

My biggest concern with this program versus Ohio State is that Ohio State is strong every year.  As one commentator said many years ago, “Ohio State never has to rebuild, they just reload.”  Their pipeline seems to always be full.  If a player goes down in the middle of the season, they just put the next player in line, the back-up, in to take his place.  They  just reload.  A talented quarterback graduates, goes pro, or transfers to Texas… the back-up becomes the starter, or they get a championship ready fifth year replacement from the portal.  They just reload.  Michigan is good, they recruit well but, they just haven’t built that full pipeline culture that would allow them just to reload.

 

Tayf: A Blooming Success

 

I went to a concert on Monday, October 13, 2025, at the Chop Shop in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.  If I really enjoy a concert, I don’t listen to any music on the way home in order not to ruin the vibe created by music performed in the concert.  In this case, I not only didn’t listen to any music on the way home, but I have not listened to other music for a full 24 hours.  This is a testimony to how much I enjoyed the concert and wanted to sustain the mood it created.

Who was performing that made such an impression?  It was Tayf.  Per the website, TAYF: From Ash to Bloom, promoting the concert: 

TAYF طَيْف , captured in English, can mean spectrum, diversity or vision. The ensemble widens the aperture on traditional maqam to center queer, non-binary and women performers, too often on the periphery of the tradition. From its inception in early 2024, the ensemble has performed across Chicago – keeping inclusion and activism at its core. From its debut at a sold-out Old Town School of Folk Music auditorium, to headlining the Fields of Palestine: A Benefit for Gaza, TAYF طَيْف has cemented itself in Chicago’s music scene as a pillar of innovation and community.

The band was made up of: 

• Sham Abyad – Lead Vocalist
• Dr. Aliah Ajamoughli, PhD – Cello
• Phaedra Darwish – Flute, Vocals, Dancer
• C Mikhail – Bass, Oud, Vocals    
• Karl El Sokhn – Guitar, Riq, Drums, Vocals
• Dr. Shayna Silverstein – Violin
• Kai Samih Movagh – Tabla
• Yasmeen – Dancer
• Bios of the musicians are available on TAYF: From Ash to Bloom.
  All the musicians currently play or have played in the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble (MEME) of the University of Chicago. 

The show was masterfully produced and promoted by Biya Biya Productions founded and run by Yasmin Zacaria Mikhaiel.  The Chop Shop venue was a perfect venue for the enthusiastic audience of 150 or so.  The program was two sets of dance and music with the second set being a tribute to Ziad Rahbani (1956-2025).  Rahbani “was a Lebanese composer, playwright, and political commentator. Son to singer Fairuz and composer Assi Rahbani, he was a musical prodigy. His bold fusion of Arabic music, jazz, and classical forms pushed the boundaries of Arab musical tradition. His impact extended beyond art, as he was a fearless social critic who gave voice to the frustrations of everyday Lebanese people during and after the civil war.”  The mood was enhanced by a video backdrop that had a loop of beautiful and engaging photos and videos of flowers blooming as well as the countryside and cityscapes of the Levant.

The music was wonderful.  It was uplifting, beautiful, and inspiring. 

It was evident from the opening dances of Yasmeen to the rousing encore at the end of the evening.  The crowd applauded each and every song.  They applauded the drum solos of Karl and Kai.  They applauded the cello, violin, and oud taksims and improvisations of Aliah, Shayna, and C.  They applauded and truly loved the vocal stylings of Sham.  When I stood in the back, easily a third of the audience was capturing video on the cell phones.  It was an amazing time.

     Sham was exquisite.  She is a natural talent with a deep and profound love of the Arab music she sings.  You certainly hear it in each lilt and sustained note that made the audience spontaneously applaud in the middle of a song.  Her body language complimented her singing with every single look, from playful to coy, from soulful to full of emotion.  Sham’s stage presence is genuine.  Her humble and engaging personality is evident especially given that half the audience already admired her for everything I have written here.  While one might be tempted to say she was the star of the show, I would rather compliment her on being such a talented singer and ensemble member at the same time.

C is also the soul of the ensemble and this concert.  A few folks with insight, spoke of C’s tireless work behind the scenes for months preparing the concert, organizing rehearsals, working with Yasmin on the production for the staging of the show.  C founded the ensemble and is dedicated to its mission and values as stated above.  C’s organization acumen is on par with their brilliant musicianship.  I cannot enumerate the number of times C would play a bassline at a MEME practice that literally made me stop playing and look at them in admiration and astonishment.  C has only been playing the oud for like a year and getting applause for their improvisations.  C is multi-talented and living their dream.  

Honestly, I do not mean to take away from anyone else in Tayf.  I could write an article on each member of this ensemble.  I loved Aliah’s cello taksim.  Phaedra, Shayna, Karl, and Kai were all solid.  Karl played a beautiful guitar taksim.  The ensemble was for the most part tight and unified.  They made an oops once or twice but they took it in stride, made light of it over the mic, laughed it off, and kept going.  And the audience laughed right along with them.

Right now Tayf is a Chicago gem.  I will not be at all surprised to hear that they take this show, From Ash to Bloom, or their next show on a national tour. 

It was a most special evening.  Whenever Tayf plays I will attend, if I can, knowing I will leave inspired, impressed, and in what I will now coin as a Tayf state of mind…

AYF Olympics Reporting: Honoring Legacy and Community

The always popular 'Kiddie" Race

The end of August and the beginning of September are always busy for me, especially given the start of the fall semester of the new academic year and the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Olympics — both occurring during the same period of time.

I have been taking photos and writing daily articles for the Armenian Weekly at the AYF Olympics, which take place over the Labor Day Weekend, for eleven years now. The writing doesn’t stop on Labor Day, however, as I also contribute to the Weekly’s AYF Olympics Special Issue. This year, the Weekly is producing its first-ever AYF Olympics Special Issue Magazine covering the 2025 AYF Boston Olympics, for which I wrote a few articles, with a mid-September deadline. 

The combination of the start of school while covering the AYF Olympics is definitely challenging, leading to a bout of exhaustion after the Labor Day Olympics weekend. While I have gotten efficient at taking photos and writing articles, it is time-consuming and makes for long hours and while the weekend is full of fun and socializing for all the attendees, it is much less so for me. I do manage to fit in some socializing as I am often in the middle of the action, and interacting with our AYF youth is always enjoyable, but it is nothing like the fun I had before I started reporting. It might sound like I am complaining, but I am not. It is a wonderful, though exhausting, labor of love. 

That is the kind of organization that the AYF is. For several generations, the AYF has been responsible for instilling and nurturing Armenian pride, patriotism, community and political activism in its members and alumni.

For me, this reporting and writing has been the most significant Armenian thing I have done and something I am very proud of. My Dad, Aram “Sonny” Gavoor, was very involved in the Olympics, helping organize the weekend and running the games as a member of the Governing Body, which is a rotating team of three alumni that ensures efficient planning, continuity and ongoing improvement of the games. He then became the coach of the Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter team and led them to their first Olympics wins. 

My Dad was also an Olympics King along with his brother, my Uncle Buddy. My sister Nancy and maternal Aunt Suzie are Olympics Queens. The Olympics King and Queens are honorifics, akin to an Olympics Hall of Fame, for those who were athletic standouts or great supporters of AYF Athletics. My parents were also the first recipients of the Varadian Spirit Award, established to honor alumni who best live their lives with the AYF spirit.

My contribution was never on the athletic fields. I competed every year when I was a member, but never scored even one measly point. However, I possessed a writing side, which comes from a few inspiring figures. 

My great uncle, Rouben Gavoor, was a lifelong writer for the Weekly. As much of an influence Uncle Rouben was on his own, it was enhanced even more by my mother, Violet’s, admiration for his writing. 

Not all my inspirations were family members. Tom Vartabedian used to report on the Olympics all by himself. He was a great cheerleader for my writing, slowly but steadily nudging me into being part of the team that replaced him in writing for the Weekly’s AYF Olympic Special Issue. In the days when I had more capacity for fun and socializing at the Olympics, I noticed that Tom was always on the move with a camera around his neck and his reporter’s notebook sticking out of his back pocket. He never had time to talk very long with anyone… and he was not even writing daily articles back then. Tom was a great influence, and I miss him dearly. 

I also have to recognize the most recent editors of the Armenian Weekly. Pauline Getzoyan and her first assistant editor, Leeza Arakelian, were so easy to work with and so encouraging. With the current Weekly editor Lilly Torosyan taking the helm after Pauline, we have not skipped a beat in terms of teamwork and responsiveness — not to mention their editorial skills. It is a great pleasure and inspiration to work with such competent and congenial professionals.

There is a great sense of accomplishment and a huge sigh of satisfaction when all the reporting is done for the AYF Olympics Special Issue of the Armenian Weekly. This year’s AYF Olympics Special Issue Magazine is no different, if not more exciting. 

== 

First published September 29, 2025 in the Armenian Weekly. 

 

  

The Day before Classes Start

 

When I was a youngster, the last day of summer was always Labor Day.  School always began on the Tuesday or Wednesday after Labor Day.  Since I began teaching again in 2010 as an adjunct at the College of Lake County (CLC), everything has moved up a week.  It is the same for North Park University where I have taught since 2012.  Classes start the Monday before Labor Day.  So, the Sunday before the Monday before Labor Day is essentially the last day of Summer.

If not used to school starting a week before Labor Day, I am certainly resolved to it after 15 years.  Yet, I strongly believe all schools should start after Labor Day.  It is such a logical marker.  School starts after Labor Day.  School starts in September… not August.  This was my entire experience as a student.  From Kindergarten through graduate school, this was the way it was and thus in my mind, the way it should be.

Chicago Public Schools and a few other K-12 districts around here started class two weeks before Labor Day.  In other parts of the country, I read that school started even earlier in August.  While I am used to starting a week before Labor Day, any earlier and… Well, let’s just say that I hope that never happens.

I am writing this on Sunday, August 24^th, the day before classes begin.  I am looking forward to starting bright and early tomorrow morning with an 8 am Operations and Supply Chain Management class.  I am excited but, as a professor, I am missing some of the wonder and anticipation of what new classes and new subjects will bring.  I am also missing joy of getting, organizing, and reveling in new school supplies.  I will dutifully take a first day of school photo tomorrow and share it with my grandchildren.

How will I spend this ‘last’ day of summer?

The nice thing about being in Chicago and being Armenian is the St. James Street Fair in Evanston.  They close Clark Street on the block that St. James Armenian Church sits and fill it with food and gift booths, picnic tables, space for a band and dancers.   I love playing at the Street Fair and attending when I am not. 

Beyond the Armenian food, the people, the Armenian music and dance there is something else that really makes the St. James Street Fair special.  It is the weather.  They always get beautiful late August weather.  In the eighteen years that I have been attending, the weather has always been spectacular except for one year when torrential rains washed out the event.  I used to attend and play at a similar picnic, at St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church, in White Plains, NY.  The weather was always amazing at that picnic as well. 

These kinds of Armenian gatherings are wonderful way to spend this Sunday before classes start. I leave you with a video of a medley of songs we played with guest singer Harry Kezelian back in 2016. 

 

Personal Productivity and Change Management

 

My last post was about productivity

So is this one, though I am adding a change management component.

The reason I am addressing this again is because of a few graphics I saw on social media that provided some very practical advice.  Also, I have two friends suffering from cognitive issues.  One I talked to on the phone.  She is having trouble speaking.  The other, I visited in hospice in a memory loss facility.  These two friends, a few others struggling with serious medical issues, and having lost a few other friends recently brings a blunt reality of my mortality and focus on what I might want to do and be moving forward.  In other words, I am at an age the runway is getting short.  To put it technical, I am out of slack time for putting off of what I want to be and what I want to accomplish. 

Certainly, this reality has always been with me.  I was aware of it, but honestly, it was more conceptual and applied to other, you know, older folks.  The blunt reality of seeing what others in my generation as experiencing has me realize I am definitely one of the older folks.  The notion that each day is a gift, means more these days than ever before.

Both of the graphics I saw are focused on time.  The first was motivational:

In six months, you will have six months of excuses, or six months of progress.  The choice is yours.

Being a master of procrastination and postponement, I have many six month periods of excuses. 

The second graphic was in the same vein but more tactical.  It is from a FB post of the a entity named BeHumanBeKind.  The title of the graphic was simple and straightforward:  “You’ll Stay Average Forever Until you Master These 4 Powerful Time Rules.”  The rules are:

 

[1] The 8+8+8 Rule

- 8 hours for you – workouts, hobbies, friends

- 8 hours for laser focused work

- 8 hours of deep, guilt-free sleep

 

[2] The 1-3-5 Rule

- 1 massive goal that scares you

- 3 key tasks that move you forward

- 5 quick wins – chores, messages, errands

 

[3] The 10 Minute Rule

- Work with deadly focus for 10 minutes

- Rest for two minutes

- Repeat

- Kills procrastination.  Builds momentum.

 

[4] The 90/90/1 Rule

- 90 minutes

- For 90 days

- On 1 life-changing goal

- You’ll shock yourself

 

Clearly, the rules are designed to work together.  The first, the 8+8+8 Rule, is how to segment your day.  I would amend the first bullet to read “8 hours for you – health and fitness, hobbies, family and friends.”  And the third bullet, “8 hours of deep, guilt-free sleep” is sound advice.  But, for me, getting 8 hours of sleep may well be the “1 life changing goal” in rule 4.  I sleep 5-6 hours and it is not deep sleep as I get up around 2-3 times in that time.

The second, the 1-3-5 Rule, is to set your daily To-Do list.  The principle here is to have a balance of long term, complex goals, that procrastinators always postpone with the trivial “quick win” type of goals.  I often put a lot of these quick win goals on my daily To-Do list along with the meaningful work and life goals simply up the percent accomplished to make myself feel productive. 

The 10-minute rule may be the most important in my regard.  By working in 10 minute bursts, rest for two, and repeating, I would get 50 minutes of work done each hour.  The challenge is to be task oriented and stay off social media.  Lots of us lose crazy batches of time by just checking social media for a quick second.  This is why the Rules includes words like “laser” and “deadly” focus.  There are simply too many distractions in our modern world.

The last rule is to manage and accomplish one lifestyle change.  Start now, spend 90 minutes a day writing a novel, playing the guitar, lifting weights, or whatever, and you will have 90 days of results instead of 90 days of excuses.  Do that twice in a row and, voila, you will have six months of results.

I actually dabbled with this a bit today.  I jotted down a To Do list of four items.  I set the timer on my phone for 10 minutes and, dang, if I didn’t accomplish the list in short order.  When I had to look for something online, I kept the laser focus in mind and didn’t meander off and squabble time on social media.

I will do this again today.

A Lethargic July

 

This year I have had two full knee replacement surgeries.  The first was on January 8th and the second was on June 9th.

The physical recovery of the second surgery has progressed faster than the first.  Physical recovery is only part of the recovery.  The other part of the recovery is the return to a normal work schedule:  the productivity recovery if you will.  This part of the recovery is lagging behind the first.  July was to have been a month of productivity.  It was not.  It was a month of lethargy.

For people my age, we try to be attuned to changes in physical health and mental acuity.  We worry because we fear the onset of anything that might indicate the start of a chronic condition that erodes our physical or mental well-being.  I do not believe that my July lethargy is the start of anything serious because I am feeling less lethargic and keener to get all my classes ready as soon as I can for the Fall.  Well, that is what I planned to do in July as well.

Lethargy is a state of physical, mental, or emotional sluggishness. It involves feeling unusually tired, weak, drowsy, or lacking in energy or motivation. Unlike typical tiredness after exertion or lack of sleep, lethargy can persist even with rest and may signal an underlying issue.  This is exactly what I was feeling.  And, I was beginning to wonder if this was signaling an underlying issue.

In my own defense, since retiring from my corporate career and becoming a full time professor, July has never been a productive month.  I work relatively hard during the school year and spend the summer months like a full retiree.  I have always aspired to be more productive, but I generally await until mid-August to get going pressured by the procrastinator's tenet:  keep procrastinating and putting of any task until that point in time where you have to work full-time, fast and furiously, under stress to complete the task by the deadline. 

So, maybe, this July lethargy is normal for me.  It has been my rest and recharge month for the past ten years.  The reason I am actually writing this piece is because this July felt different from years past.  It felt like a deeper and more weighty lethargy.

Part of me wanted to believe that it was the lingering effects of the anesthesia (I had a saddle block and not a general anesthesia).  I discounted this because in January, I was back at it in two weeks going full blast.  Why was January’s mental recovery so much better?  Quite simply it was necessity.  Classes started two weeks after the surgery.  I simply had to do it.  I taught online the first two weeks, but I did teach and had to be ready to go.  I had to engage the brain and get stuff done.  This principle is the same reason they get you up walking and even climbing stairs immediately after surgery.  It is the same reason they start physical therapy immediately following.

I probably should have pushed myself more mentally.  Part of the reason my physical recovery was faster this second time around is because the home care physical therapist really pushed me. 

In summation, there are many factors involved in my July lethargy. The fact that I have on syllabus done in July which is more than I have ever done.  This post is surely living up to the subtitle of this blog, A Monthly Letter of Musings and Meanderings.

What is Important in Life?

 

My cousin David Gavoor is a great supporter of this blog.  He will call or text on various things I post and often suggest topics or themes that he would love to see me explore in this blog.  Recently, he posted a link from ABC News from their website on January 11, 2018.  It is a story of an Australian woman, Holly Butcher, who succumbed to cancer on January 4^th of that same year.  Holly wrote a letter she wanted her family to distribute upon her passing.

Holly wrote from her heart, with clarity, wisdom, and grace, she urged others not to take life for granted. Holly emphasized the importance of letting go of trivial worries, like appearance, money, and social drama, and instead encouraged to live with gratitude, kindness, and presence.

She reminded us to cherish simple moments, value time with loved ones, and embrace our bodies for what they can do rather than how they look. Holly urged people to be generous with their time and money, to offer compliments freely, and to stop sweating the small stuff. She reflected on how fragile and unpredictable life is, and how many things people often complain about are meaningless when faced with mortality.

Holly’s message was a call to live deeply and intentionally—take the trip, eat the cake, wake up early to watch the sunrise, and tell people you love them. Her letter resonated globally, inspiring millions to reconsider their priorities and appreciate life’s fleeting beauty. Her words continue to echo as a poignant reminder of what truly matters.

I loved Holly’s message.  It took her less than 1700 words to express her succinct and powerful message.  Experts and professional authors have have written books that take a few hundred pages to say the same thing.  Holly’s wonderful message was freely distributed where the aforementioned books cost $20-30. 

Many of us felt and thought what Holly wrote when we attend the funerals of family and friends… especially if the deceased was taken tragically or too young in life.  At such funerals, we mourn and reflect.  We even get a glimpse of what we will think is important and what we will truly value in the last days of our lives.  We may even resolve to prioritize those things moving forward in order to be more grateful and gracious lives so we can have minimal regrets when our time comes. 

Inevitably, we return to our lives and the day-to-day stresses that we prioritize over the values we reflected on when we were mourning.  This seems to be a part of how most of us live and is maybe just how we are wired. 

ChaiGPT estimates at least one million people have read Holly’s letter.  The number of shares is in the hundreds of thousands which is why ChapGPT’s estimated reads might be on the low side. Some of the comments on Instagram and Facebook claim they read and re-read the letter.  One fellow said he read it annually.

Many of us struggle with what is important in the short term and what is important in the long term.  In the short term, we have the daily grind, and the priorities related to earning a living and making ends meet.  This can overwhelm the longer term values that Holly wrote about.  We all know people who seem to be able to do both gracefully.  The rest of us want to know they do it.  Therein lies the rub.

I am certain to revisit this topic.

 

Here is Holly’s letter in its entirety from Life Wisdom by Holly Butcher.

A bit of life advice from Hol:

 

It’s a strange thing to realise and accept your mortality at 26 years young. It’s just one of those things you ignore. The days tick by and you just expect they will keep on coming; until the unexpected happens. I always imagined myself growing old, wrinkled and grey- most likely caused by the beautiful family (lots of kiddies) I planned on building with the love of my life. I want that so bad it hurts.

 

That’s the thing about life; It is fragile, precious and unpredictable and each day is a gift, not a given right. I’m 27 now. I don’t want to go. I love my life. I am happy. I owe that to my loved ones.

 

But the control is out of my hands.

 

I haven’t started this ‘note before I die’ so that death is feared - I like the fact that we are mostly ignorant to it’s inevitability. Except when I want to talk about it and it is treated like a ‘taboo’ topic that will never happen to any of us. That’s been a bit tough. I just want people to stop worrying so much about the small, meaningless stresses in life and try to remember that we all have the same fate after it all so do what you can to make your time feel worthy and great, minus the bullshit.

 

I have dropped lots of my thoughts below as I have had a lot of time to ponder life these last few months. Of course it’s the middle of the night when these random things pop in my head most!

 

Those times you are whining about ridiculous things (something I have noticed so much these past few months), just think about someone who is really facing a problem. Be grateful for your minor issue and get over it. It’s okay to acknowledge that something is annoying but try not to carry on about it and negatively affect other people’s days.

 

Once you do that, get out there and take a freaking big breath of that fresh Aussie air deep in your lungs, look at how blue the sky is and how green the trees are; it is so beautiful. Think how lucky you are to be able to do just that - breathe.

 

You might have got caught in bad traffic today, or had a bad sleep because your beautiful babies kept you awake, or your hairdresser cut your hair too short. Your new fake nails might have got a chip, your boobs are too small, or you have cellulite on your arse and your belly is wobbling. Let all that shit go. I swear you will not be thinking of those things when it is your turn to go. It is all SO insignificant when you look at life as a whole. I’m watching my body waste away right before my eyes with nothing I can do about it and all I wish for now is that I could have just one more Birthday or Christmas with my family, or just one more day with my partner and dog. Just one more.

 

I hear people complaining about how terrible work is or about how hard it is to exercise - Be grateful you are physically able to. Work and exercise may seem like such trivial things... until your body doesn’t allow you to do either of them.

 

I tried to live a healthy life, in fact, that was probably my major passion. Appreciate your good health and functioning body- even if it isn’t your ideal size. Look after it and embrace how amazing it is. Move it and nourish it with fresh food. Don’t obsess over it. Remember there are more aspects to good health than the physical body... work just as hard on finding your mental, emotional and spiritual happiness too. That way you might realise just how insignificant and unimportant having this stupidly portrayed perfect social media body really is... While on this topic, delete any account that pops up on your news feeds that gives you any sense of feeling shit about yourself. Friend or not... Be ruthless for your own well-being.

 

Be grateful for each day you don’t have pain and even the days where you are unwell with man flu, a sore back or a sprained ankle, accept it is shit but be thankful it isn’t life threatening and will go away.

 

Whine less, people! …and help each other more.

 

Give, give, give. It is true that you gain more happiness doing things for others than doing them for yourself. I wish I did this more. Since I have been sick, I have met the most incredibly giving and kind people and been the receiver of the most thoughtful and loving words and support from my family, friends and strangers; more than I could I ever give in return. I will never forget this and will be forever grateful to all of these people.

 

It is a weird thing having money to spend at the end... when you’re dying. It’s not a time you go out and buy material things that you usually would, like a new dress. It makes you think how silly it is that we think it is worth spending so much money on new clothes and ‘things’ in our lives. Buy your friend something kind instead of another dress, beauty product or jewelry for that next wedding. 1. No-one cares if you wear the same thing twice 2. It feels good. Take them out for a meal, or better yet, cook them a meal. Shout their coffee. Give/buy them a plant, a massage or a candle and tell them you love them when you give it to them.

 

Value other people’s time. Don’t keep them waiting because you are shit at being on time. Get ready earlier if you are one of those people and appreciate that your friends want to share their time with you, not sit by themselves, waiting on a mate. You will gain respect too! Amen sister.

 

This year, our family agreed to do no presents and despite the tree looking rather sad and empty (I nearly cracked Christmas Eve!), it was so nice because people didn’t have the pressure of shopping and the effort went into writing a nice card for each other. Plus imagine my family trying to buy me a present knowing they would probably end up with it themselves... strange! It might seem lame but those cards mean more to me than any impulse purchase could. Mind you, it was also easier to do in our house because we had no little kiddies there. Anyway, moral of the story - presents are not needed for a meaningful Christmas. Moving on.

 

Use your money on experiences... Or at least don’t miss out on experiences because you spent all your money on material shit. Put in the effort to do that day trip to the beach you keep putting off. Dip your feet in the water and dig your toes in the sand. Wet your face with salt water. Get amongst nature.

 

Try just enjoying and being in moments rather than capturing them through the screen of your phone. Life isn’t meant to be lived through a screen nor is it about getting the perfect photo… enjoy the bloody moment, people! Stop trying to capture it for everyone else.

 

Random rhetorical question:  Are those several hours you spend doing your hair and makeup each day or to go out for one night really worth it? I’ve never understood this about females’. Get up early sometimes and listen to the birds while you watch the beautiful colours the sun makes as it rises. Listen to music... really listen. Music is therapy. Old is best. Cuddle your dog. Far out, I will miss that. Talk to your friends. Put down your phone. Are they doing okay? Travel if it’s your desire, don’t if it’s not. Work to live, don’t live to work. Seriously, do what makes your heart feel happy. Eat the cake. Zero guilt. Say no to things you really don’t want to do. Don’t feel pressured to do what other people might think is a fulfilling life... you might want a mediocre life and that is so okay. Tell your loved ones you love them every time you get the chance and love them with everything you have.

 

Also, remember if something is making you miserable, you do have the power to change it - in work or love or whatever it may be. Have the guts to change. You don’t know how much time you’ve got on this earth so don’t waste it being miserable. I know that is said all the time but it couldn’t be more true.

 

Anyway, that’s just this one young gals life advice. Take it or leave it, I don’t mind!

 

Oh and one last thing, if you can, do a good deed for humanity (and myself) and start regularly donating blood. It will make you feel good with the added bonus of saving lives. I feel like it is something that is so overlooked considering every donation can save 3 lives! That is a massive impact each person can have and the process really is so simple. Blood donation (more bags than I could keep up with counting) helped keep me alive for an extra year - a year I will be forever grateful that I got to spend it here on Earth with my family, friends and dog. A year I had some of the greatest times of my life.

 

...’Til we meet again.

 

Hol

xoxo