The Last Good Day (Monday Moment ep. 641)

Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

John O'Leary

Self-improvement, Bestsellingauthor, Education, Dailyinspiration, Society & Culture, Liveinspired, Johnoleary, Inspiration, Joebuck, Inspiredliving, Onfire, Relationships

4.9 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 29 January 2024

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Each month in 2024, we’ll be celebrating individuals who are On Fire For Good. This month, we share the incredible work of Tom Wiley and the December 5th Fund. Thank you, Tom, for showing us what it means to be On Fire For Good.

My friends, do you know someone living On Fire For Good? Tom’s story was submitted by a member of the Live Inspired community, Ryan Farmer. If you know someone you want to nominate for recognition this year, visit www.OnFireForGood.com to access the nomination form. Look for our next On Fire For Good Profile on February 26!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, my friends and welcome to the live-inspired podcast with John O'Leary.
0:17.4	I record these each week so you and I can begin these weeks and these days in awe and on fire with a
0:23.4	burst of inspiration. Here we go. Pancakes, a kitchen dance party and Christmas lights. That's what
0:34.4	Tom Wiley remembers about his wife, Laura's last good day before cancer ultimately took her life just a few weeks later.
0:43.3	On that day, the date was December 5, 2015. Laura Wiley was pain-free.
0:49.3	On that date, the Wiley family for the first time and a time, enjoyed a breakfast around the table before hauling out holiday decorations, hanging out with friends, and driving to see Christmas lights.
1:02.4	And on that day, Tom soaked up every second celebrating the ordinary gifts of life as a family.
1:14.6	Up to that point, the Wileys were overwhelmed. They were exhausted after managing the competing demands of Laura's diagnosis and their day-to-day lives that went on despite of it.
1:22.6	Even with loving support and network around them, the constant strains of work, the kids, the house,
1:30.5	the cancer, left them utterly drained. December 5th was an unexpected, joyful respite for the entire
1:40.2	family. That respite, however, was fleeting. The following day, the pain returned,
1:48.7	the energy faded. Lara struggled to get out of bed. Just a month after the pancake party,
1:54.8	the Wiley's faced the unimaginable, irreplaceable loss of their mom. As Tom and the kids tried adjusting to their life without
2:05.9	Laura, they spoke often about that one day their mom was able to rise from bed to cook, to dance,
2:13.6	and to celebrate life. For Tom, the awareness sparked an idea that other families on a difficult
2:19.7	journey his family had endured also deserved one good day and that he could help give it to them.
2:27.8	In the throes of grief rather than turn inward, Tom channeled his sadness into action. The year following Lars' death,
2:37.8	Tom founded the December 5 Fund. He and a few friends sent a family living with a cancer diagnosis
2:44.8	out for a fun day together as a family. While they were out, volunteers arrived at their house to do everything that gets
2:53.3	ignored when you're busy taking care of a loved one. Chores that none of us like doing, like
3:00.4	mowing the lawn, cleaning the gutters, freshening the paint, and cleaning out the garage,
3:06.1	were taken care of for the family.
	...

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