The Sunday Series: (64), In Memoriam

I never met Debbie Fink Green in person, not in the face-to-face physical sense, but we spoke on the phone on two different occasions for more than three hours.

In fact, that is how 99% of these Sunday Series interviews happen: a referral, a phone call, an interview and then the unbelievable trust these people give me to share their story with the world.  The connections created when you ask questions, truly listen, and dive down deep into someone’s mind, heart and soul and then write their story as a permanent marker on this journey – theirs and mine – creates a connection which in some respects defies explanation. You instantly earn respect for their journey, whether it be one of challenge, or triumph. I am eternally grateful for each person who has the courage to share, because everyone has a story.

I am Mark Brodinsky and this is The Sunday Series.

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The Sunday Series (64): In Memoriam

In life there are no guarantees. The only fact is to expect the unexpected, or to know that even in battle, no matter how hard you fight, no matter how tough your resolve and your resiliency, sometimes there on the front lines, your journey comes to an end.

This past week the battle got the best of Debbie Fink Green. The cancer beast claimed another victim and the world lost a good one, at least in her physical presence on this earth. But her story, her spirit, the lives she touched and her inspiration is immortal. That’s when you know you have lived a life of significance.

You need only view the story links posted at the bottom of this blog as evidence of what Debbie brought to the world and of her indomitable spirit in the face of tremendous adversity to give it all she had to battle against appendiceal cancer. Her step-mom Becky Fink and her cousin Rich Polt,  first brought Debbie’s story to my attention. As it turned out in the community in which I live and the people with whom I know, Debbie and I share many, many connections.

Debbie’s posts have been the most widely viewed of any Sunday Series written on this blog. It has nothing to do with me and everything to do with her tremendous support system and evidence of the lives she touched and those who felt compelled to share in her journey, and to offer words of encouragement and messages of hope.

The very first Sunday Series about Debbie and her battle was in the beginning of 2014, and back then it was all about the fight:

The challenge Debbie is facing puts life in perspective for all of us. We all face challenges. If there isn’t a road bump, or obstacle in your journey through this life you probably aren’t really living. But some road blocks are bigger than others, they try to take you down for the count. That’s when you show what you are really made of. How do you rise up and fight? How do you show what you are willing to live for? Debbie Fink is facing the challenge head on, by choosing to sacrifice to save her life. The outcome is not in her hands, perhaps not really in the hands of the doctors and surgeons, though they will do all they can to get this right, and to prolong Debbie’s days on this earth. Maybe there could even be another miracle on the horizon…cancer-free. But like Debbie says she has learned you can’t focus on what you can’t control. Cancer, any type of cancer has its own agenda, its own plan, and the focus needs to be on how you will react, not on the outcome.

This week the “outcome” was not what anyone wanted, but the fighter left her mark on the world. You need only go onto social media, especially on Facebook, to read the comments, the outpouring of love and the testament to the life Debbie lived. Life is about love and the lives you touch. Do it right and many will remember, as her sister Jessica said in a Facebook message to me just yesterday: “She was truly an inspiration to so many people.”

Debbie inspired others by showing how she cared. She offered to share her fear and vulnerability, so others knew they were not alone in their own struggles and challenges. She shared her triumphs and in death, we all share her loss, but we are left to remember the indelible mark she left on the world because of the way she lived it, with grace and with courage.

Here now the links to the two Sunday Series and another post focused on Debbie Fink Green:

http://markbrodinsky.com/the-sunday-series-11-with-mark-brodinsky/

http://markbrodinsky.com/the-good-news-its-just-about-life/

http://markbrodinsky.com/the-sunday-series-18-with-mark-brodinsky/

(From Debbie’s husband Dave: “As Camp Saginaw was where it all started for me and Sal (Debbie), please consider making a donation to the Herb Cohen Memorial Fund in lieu of flowers.” Info here: bit.ly/19M7Fuq)

Until next time thanks for taking the time,

Mark Brodinsky

Mark Brodinsky, Author, Blogger, Speaker, Emmy Winner, Financial Services

Author: The #1 Amazon Best-Seller: It Takes 2. Surviving Breast Cancer: A Spouse’s Story

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