Hi everyone, welcome to thanks for being here, a short weekly pod to remind us of the many

essential and beautiful ways we affect one another. Every Sunday I'll read a submission

from a listener of Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Could be wedding vows or about mitzvah toast,

a eulogy or retirement speech. We believe this is the loveliest way to tap into our better selves

and remember our highest values. We encourage you to share this podcast each week with one person

you love, maybe someone you miss or need to bring closer, someone you want to feel your appreciation

or admiration or both. This is thanks for being here.

Hi guys, this week's thanks for being here is from Brian and Katie Tungget.

The email says my 20-year-old son Eli died on March 31st in Virginia. He was hit by a drunk

driver while on a run with some of his college track teammates. I wrote this but couldn't speak,

so his coach and roommate read it for me. He was wonderful. This is from Katie Tungget.

Everyone keeps telling me to only operate in 15-minute increments as I navigate living in a world

without Eli Kramer. No decision or act is to be made outside of that time parameter.

That seems logical to me as I realize I am in a stage of deep grief and taking on too much or

planning too far ahead is unwise. But this idea is unlike me, so I'm going to have to train for

this. Eli loved to train for things, so I'm going to follow his lead and his perseverance to do

this well. After all, I gave birth to him and I got to live life with him for 20 years.

No one should know better than me how he would have handled a thing like his death.

I figured the first step of this training is to set a plan, so if we know we have to stay in 15-minute

increments, moving forward through this life, we need to make those 15 minutes count. Eli taught us

this, so what did he do? What did he love? How could it fill our reps of 15-minute repeats?

He loved to laugh. He favored laughter over tears, and if it was laughter at himself, all the better.

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