Travis Hill

Somebody ought to tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit every minute of every day. Do it, I say, whatever you want to do, do it now.” — Michael Landon

Here I am, three years later, gearing up for my fourth climb.

I’ve lead this page off with the same quote each year and it’s incredible that when I come back to create this write-up, it’s like an epiphany all over again. I like to think that I live this way. Making the most of every minute of every day. But in fact, I don’t.

It seems we hear this over, and over, and over. Yet we’re not really listening…

“So live. Live. Fight like hell. And when you get too tired to fight, lay down and rest and let somebody else fight for you.” –Stuart Scott before beating cancer by how he lived.

Stuart Scott, Michael Landon and so many others that have fallen ill or have faced life-threatening challenges in their lives, remind us that every day that life is a gift, and how we must embrace it. To embrace life is to rid ourselves of societal pressures and to dig deep down to what’s in our hearts. What our passions are. Where we find joy. Where we will truly be comfortable with how we live life.

Never once, have I donated to Child Legacy and said “Wow, I really wish I had that money back. Maybe I could buy me a new shirt, a fancy meal, or a new phone app!” Instead, I’ve only pushed myself to learn more about the systemic problem facing Malawi, just one among many others.

I think we can all agree that one of our primary purposes in life is to love others well. Whether you believe in the history of scripture and Jesus or not, I think we can agree on this. There are few better ways to love others well than to provide them with the necessities of life, setting a standard for the future and working to create a new system, when in need. Two of the primary drivers of infant mortality is diarrhea and malnutrition, not to mention many other water-borne related illnesses. I’ve seen the effects of clean water brought to a village first hand. The smiles, the hugs, and the moments have led me to continue leading this trip.

Child Legacy is fighting this “like hell” as Stuart Scott would say. When these villages are too tired to fight, Child Legacy is fighting for them.

Bring joy to others. Smiles to faces. Clean water to children. Whatever your vision is, as the late Michael Landon would say, “…whatever you want to do, do it now.”