Zach Sobiech is a 17-year-old diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. With only months to live, Zach turned to music to say goodbye. His life offers a powerful testimony of what it means to appreciate the beauty of bringing smiles to other’s faces, to overcoming those moments in life when everything gets turned upside down, and to discovering the value of every breath. This, my dear friends, is what “dying with dignity” is all about.
“Most people live kinda in the middle… or a dream come true or your dying. And it’s a very comfortable place to live.” How many of us fall into that middle category that Zach talks about? How often do we take each day for granted? How often do we ignore the now and live in a buried past or an uncertain future?
These are questions for everyone to ask themselves, especially the youth. Including myself in this category, the temptation to seek out those “comfort zones” is all too real. Asking the deeper questions, opening myself up to the possibility of needing to make critical changes, isn’t always the most appealing option. What’s more, every day we are fed the idea of the “good life” on the beach with a Corona beer, drifting in a hammock. When we can’t have that, what’s left? Brittany Maynard’s choice? There are much better ways of dealing with suffering and death.
Meet Zach Sobiech | My Last Days
While such a life isn’t bad in itself, I have no doubt that we were made for something much greater. As a culture, as a Church, we need to regain the love for the ideal, for the greater horizon. We must hear the call that our Lord makes to us to live out our daily lives with a vision of eternity. Live a life worth remembering for eternity!
Zach Sobiech passed away May 20, 2013. Our hearts and prayers are with his family and friends. We are forever touched by his story. Thank you for sharing your life and music with us, Zach. You are dearly missed and loved.
Zach’s song, ‘Clouds’ is available on iTunes and other online music stores and the proceeds benefit the Zach Sobiech Research Fund of Children’s Cancer Research Fund http://www.childrenscancer.org/zach.
Finally, I would also highly recommend the article found here. It speaks about the importance of the Catholic faith in Zach’s family and, above all, the Blessed Mother in the life of Zach’s mother.
