Thoughts to Ponder – A Lesson in Love and Joy

By Jenny Chissus

This November 4th, I had the honor to sit with my brother Peter – the father of the bride – at Chelsea’s wedding reception.  To understand the real significance of that, here’s a little history.

My brother was diagnosed with ALS – also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in September 2009, after a year of wondering what was going on with his speech.  He was having a difficult time formulating words, and at first, his speech resembled someone who had too much to drink.

Before we knew his diagnosis, I remember one conversation we had on the phone when we were struggling to communicate, and I felt bad that I couldn’t understand his words.  Peter kept saying “Jenny, this isn’t so bad, so my speech is slurred  a bit, I have friends with serious diseases, cancer or other horrible things.  It isn’t so bad, it is still me, I just talk funny!”

Peter has always had such a great outlook and positive attitude that is contagious.  He is and always been a light when he entered a room.  Even with this awkward speech situation, he was still upbeat and an encourager to others. Continue Reading