A Tribute to Bob

Last week I attended the funeral of a much beloved man named Robert (Pa) Nunn, my fiance's grandfather. He was in his early eighties and by all accounts was a truly remarkable person. His family loved him and during the days leading up to and following his funeral stories floated from person to person. What a hard worker he was- stoic in a sense. He was "old school"- took care of his wife, daughters, family and just did the things that needed to get done.

One of the most remarkable things to me was that for over 50 years Bob Nunn was in a wheel chair. He and his family were in a car accident that left him without the use of his legs. From his family you got the sense that Bob was never much of a complainer. If something needed to get done he figured out a way to get it done. After his accident he became an accountant and began his own business. He built tools to help him manuver around his home and customized a van so he could live completely independently. So many stories and such loving memories this one man left behind.

Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, but if they had lived I'd want them to be just like Bob. I took away a lot from the days in Champaign with Bob's family. I was reminded of all the things that weren't important and the one thing that is- life. Nothing else matters. Bob Nunn lived life because it was meant to be lived and he didn't let anything get in his way. I try to imagine myself in Bob's shoes and I am shamed. I spend a lot of time with regret and thinking about what I don't have. When really, I truly have everything. From Bob I am reminded that my only limits are those that I place on myself.

I am going to run the The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in honor of two people, Eddie Velez, age 5 and Robert Nunn, age 83 (with his families approval of course). One life that had just begun and the other lived out fully. Both of them remind me of the importance of life and not to take any of it for granted. Running 26.2 miles is a paltry feat when compared to what these two human beings faced and overcame.

Jennell