A Little Book of Life: Insight by a Terminal Patient

By Don Farrell II

Author Don Farrell brings the skill of
a naturalist and the heart of a poet to
this work. His experiences as a father,
husband, veteran, environmentalist,
singer and world traveler have formed
a creative, optimistic approach to life.
In 2011, enjoying a fulfi lling career of
25 years in environmental health and
safety and with his two daughters now
adults, Don was diagnosed with ALS
(amyotrophic lateral sclerosisLou
Gehrigs disease).
Mr. Farrell views his increasing physical limitations as both a challenge
and an opportunity. In 2012, he left the emergency response program at the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to write, travel and enjoy
life as a retiree. Support from family, friends and a loving wife, who is also
his caregiver, allows Don to use his creative writing gift to inspire people and
advocate for ALS patients everywhere.
Don and his wife, Joan, live in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, where music and views of
farmlands and sunsets make each day a memory to treasure. When the weather is
fair, there you will find Team D/J and three cats on the porch reading, writing and
planning their next adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479777266

Don Farrell II

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Author Don Farrell brings the skill of a naturalist and the heart of a poet to this work. His experiences as a father, husband, veteran, environmentalist, singer and world traveler have formed a creative, optimistic approach to life. In 2011, enjoying a fulfilling career of 25 years in environmental health and safety and with his two daughters now adults, Don was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—Lou Gehrig’s disease). Mr. Farrell views his increasing physical limitations as both a challenge and an opportunity. In 2012, he left the emergency response program at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to write, travel and enjoy life as a retiree. Support from family, friends and a loving wife, who is also his caregiver, allows Don to use his creative writing gift to inspire people and advocate for ALS patients everywhere. Don and his wife, Joan, live in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, where music and views of farmlands and sunsets make each day a memory to treasure. When the weather is fair, there you will find Team D/J and three cats on the porch reading, writing and planning their next adventure. Don can be reached at: http://donfarrell.pndonline.org/.

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Copyright © 2013 by Don Farrell II.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Contents

Preface

1.  Lemonade

2.  Little Boxes

3.  Mind Matters

4.  Role Models

5.  Who Have You Loved?

6.  Life as Art

7.  By Thy Grace

8.  Inspiration

This book is dedicated to my wife, Joan, and my children,

Jessie and Sarah. Memories of our love will bridge

the divide until you join me on the other side!

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I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness or abilities that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

William Penn, 1644-1718

Founder of Pennsylvania

Acknowledgements

D eepest thanks to my lovely wife, Joan, who has also become my primary caregiver. She is my closest confidant, she knows my desires and my impatience, and she helped me distill and explain my thoughts. This was a family project; my daughter, Sarah and my sister, Rosanna, were particularly supportive, but the entire family endured requests for reviews. Judy Lyter at the ALS Association is the kindest supporter who read the work as it was written and who is a wise counselor for my end-of-life journey. A family friend, Maggie Pettersen, donated many hours of her professional editing skills. Two friends, Sonia Vrooman and Julianne O'Neil, have hearts of gold and gave me love and encouragement throughout this experience. Finally, I am thankful to all my teachers in this life, who may or may not have known the great service they provided by simply being themselves.

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Preface

E very two seconds, another set of telephone poles frames a clear blue sky, and the back seat car window becomes a movie screen. Puffy clouds and pines sometimes appear, or an occasional turkey buzzard. I’m five years old. The dipping, bending black wires are hypnotic. Gazing toward the furthest reaches of human vision, I contemplate a distant deluge of impressions that fade away just as I begin to comprehend their meaning. Hey, Ahno (my nickname, then), where are you? my mother remarks. A warm, comforting sun and the adventure of traveling pull me back to earth.

Fast forward, to age eight or nine, when I realized that life was the real deal. There would be no turning back. Back to what I couldn’t say, but the feeling of leaving behind something mysterious persisted. Maybe it was my innocence. Something new was in the air, and I was taking big gulps of it. Perhaps it was brought on by the traveling lifestyle chosen by my parents. My two sisters and I were part of their South Pacific escapade in American Samoa. One cannot ignore reality when you and your tiger teddy spend a long day in a copra boat tossed about in rough seas. Did you know that tigers do not get seasick? That poor stuffed animal served as my personal bite stick all the way from Tutuila harbor to the reef off the island of Ofu. Upon arrival we were thrown overboard to outrigger canoes riding the ocean swells and into the arms of our new Polynesian neighbors.

What I didn’t know then is that the concerns of the world would slowly but surely become more predominant. The circumstances of my life demanded active participation. I no longer had the luxury of contemplating the whirlwinds of time from the safety of a car window. Now I had to physically get out of the car. It was as if a theater curtain closed, and suddenly I was on the stage behind it, changing clothes in the dark for some role I had no idea how to play. The lights were brought to full, the scenery had been changed, and I had to act. Creative action became my new hypnotic experience, overshadowing an intuitive understanding of some other time and place.

We all are called to this life. By this, I mean called to respond. As children, we learn to express our basic needs and manipulate our physical environment. These lessons are critical to our survival and can be quite dramatic, even harsh. Perhaps by the grace of loving parents or a wise and kind person we may also get a dose of redemption