A 14 Year Old's Short Life Inspired Me to Write This

Life is short. What is your focus?

Here in Baltimore, a local legend died last night.

Fourteen year old Mo Gaba regularly called a local radio station to talk sports after school. His passion was infectious. One day, the radio station decided to surprise him at school to do their sports talk in person.

When the radio station arrived they learned Mo was blind and had cancer. In all the conversations they had with this young boy, he never mentioned this. 

Mo lived life with such passion, and never focused on his problems. He rose to local celebrity status. He was the first blind person to announce an NFL draft from Braille. He marched in parades. The boy lived a LIFE.

His death reminds me that we never know how long we have. We can squeeze as much goodness as possible out of the time we have. No matter what we can choose joy.

I’m sitting here crying as I write this and I didn't even know the kid. Something about the fullness of his short life is sitting heavy with me this morning. Wishing I lived with more appreciation.

What has struck me is how much I take for granted. 

Take a moment right now and tune into your five senses. Notice the colors you see and how vibrant and varied they are. What smells are there in the room and do they bring up any memories? Take a sip of your coffee and notice how it tastes and feels in your mouth and the way it refreshes you. Can you hear sounds in the distance? Notice the wonders of nature or ] listen to the traffic outside. It can remind you of how amazing it is to live in a time where we have cars available for our transportation. 

How cool is it that I wrote this from my laptop in one location and you are somewhere else in the world reading my words?

The character Emily in Thornton Wilder’s play “Our Town” said it best: “Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you!”

Do any of us take a moment to appreciate what we have? And can we live a full life without appreciation? 

How would you live life if you knew your time was very limited? 

What will fill your moments? 

What will you choose to focus on?

Let Mo’s story be a reminder to live your life with passion and excitement for the things that you care about. And to focus on what brings joy even when dealing with life’s curveballs and challenges. 

Now excuse me while I go eat dessert first. 

If you’re looking for more inspiration and mindfulness, I got you covered. Receive a free meditation focused on self love right here.