Gratitude
1-18-2023 / Regency
AO: Paradise Island – about 30 degrees, and a modest wind.
Q: Tight Lip
PAX: Stella, Toad Stool, Smash Mouth, Cutting Edge, TC, Dirty Bird, Cosmo, Cake, Vandelay, High Hat, Low Flow, Retweet, Slow Pitch, Skipper, Safe Ride, Black Lung, and FNG TotalEclipse
Announced: The Mission Statement, Disclaimer, and Five Core Principles, as well as the motto that we will leave no man behind – and leave no man where we found them (because we are all on the move together).
At exactly 0515 I made the announcements and said the things, and then I got the PAX moving. We headed to the usual spot between the apartments just south of the lack where we did some tappy-taps, cherry pickers, squats, 10 burpees, and then we got on the move…
We took a 1.2 mile jaunt up the steady hill towards Regency Plaza where we looped around the circle mustering in the parking lot. We knocked out 5 burpees, 15 squats (I think), and another 5 burpees. This is where we picked up our first coupon and started the run up the steep hill into the neighborhood. I made it all of 50 yards, maybe, before High Hat and others were already eager to take a turn hauling the coupon. We made the trek up the hill that is just shy of 1,000 meters where we stopped at the raised bed of the east side of Regency Park. We did 5 more burpees, 15 dips, and another 5 burpees. The PAX picked up another coupon at this stop and we made the journey back to the shovel flags. YHC was incredibly humbled by the PAX’s zeal for carrying the coupons along our route. It was great to see HIM eager to shoulder the load for each other.
Cosmo requested the day before that we do snow angels if it snows. It didn’t snow, so we did sweat angels instead (which is the Q’s least favorite exercise). We also did a round of American Hammers Rancid style.
Prayers and Announcements
We had an FNG who TC EH’d that was all the way from South Dakota! After he was invited into the circle and (too) quickly revealed to us that he has a solstice tattoo, we offered him the chance to tell us more about himself. He talked about his construction company, building barns, and his family. We stuck with the tattoo and named him Total Eclipse. We hope to see him every 3rd Wednesday…
Announcements about CSAUP and other 1st 2nd and 3rd F events were made.
Prayer request for Tin Cup, Biff and others that are recovering or injured.
Slow Pitch asked to have a young man lifted in prayer who is facing sentencing for vehicular homicide, and for the families of those tragically effected.
TC requested prayer for a family close to him who is grieving the tragic loss of a young man to suicide.
As soon as I was asked about Qing at Paradise Island by Retweet I knew what my COT would be. I also knew it would be an emotionally heavy topic, and that this may be the only COT I write and read aloud to the PAX.
3,523 days ago my wife and I were pregnant with our first child. Sadly, we were never able to meet that child on this side of Heaven. 3,522 days ago my wife nearly passed away as she bled internally as our baby ruptured my wife’s left fallopian tube and part of her uterus. The development of realizing there was a problem and driving my wife to the hospital is a longer story that can be told at a later time. This is a time for gratitude, and F3, and this AO Paradise Island has offered me a unique opportunity to speak these words of gratitude.
Some time in late-September I started to dive deep into F3 and began paying more attention to name-o-rama videos after each of my workouts, and I’m not sure I caught it right away, but eventually I caught the last name Jacobi in one of the videos.
I first heard of Retweet in mid-September while on a mosey around the Coop or Mess Hall. Someone (I think it was Vandelay) was telling me about this guy who just showed up to a workout one morning after hearing about it. A similar story to how I showed up to my first workout. They spoke about how generous he’s been with his time, sharing his professional expertise with the guys experiencing injury, trying to help them recover. After meeting Retweet, his kindness has certainly eclipsed that initial impression.
I would like to read a message I recently sent his way complimenting his character:
The concept of servant leadership became popular a few years back, and then suddenly the motto showed up so often its meaning and authenticity has been diluted. But brother, I want to tell you that you exemplify servant leadership in the most authentic way I’ve seen. From how you greet the PAX upon their arrival at Paradise Island, your complimentary texts, your generosity in time and expertise to help someone with an injury, to the way that you quietly make sure that guys get their coffee topped off during Q-Source. If makes a difference, and I am thankful for your example. You are a true High Impact Man.
I appreciate you all allowing me the time to convey my gratitude. You see, my greatest gratitude isn’t for Jerry Retweet Jacobi, it is for his wife Dr. Rebeca Jacobi. 3,522 days ago Dr. Rebeca Jacobi saved my wife’s life. She is the one who thoughtfully and expertly stopped my wife’s bleeding and sutured her wounds with careful attention. To speak reasonably, there are probably many doctors who could have performed the emergency surgery to save my wife’s life that day, but because of her thoughtful care and ability 2,789 days ago my wife was able to give birth to our daughter Claire, and later our son Benjamin. I have always been so thankful to Dr. Jacobi for saving my wife’s life, but it wasn’t until preparing for this COT that I came to more deeply appreciate that without her intervention I may not know any of my children.
My wife and I have had the opportunity to thank Dr. Jacobi many times over the past 9 years. And I have had the opportunity to share these stories with Retweet since realizing that his last name Jacobi was THAT Jacobi. Men, I don’t have any wisdom to share in this morning’s COT. I only have gratitude. Gratitude for the Jacobi family name and everything they offer our community. Thank you for allowing me to share this gratitude with you this morning.