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We all know an exceptional person. Someone whose story astonishes us and inspire us to be better.
Someone who seems from another world, who sensitizes us and that without looking for it, becomes a source of inspiration. A person capable of teaching others through the attitude with which he/she assumes what life puts him/her in front of.
I am lucky because I had the privilege of knowing an exceptional person. I knew Lalolópez: a husband, a father, a brother, a cousin, an uncle, a friend, a publicist, a boss and an outstanding teacher, like no other... inspiring.
Lalo is, was and will always be one the greatest warriors in the battle for life. A tireless and tenacious (stubborn) warrior who believed that "IT IS NOT ABOUT TO LENGTHEN YOUR LIFE, BUT TO WIDEN IT" and that, living according to his convictions, he managed to widen his life as best as he could.
June 18, 2013. A day that started like any other, but that would bring with it some news with the power to change Lalo's life completely and forever: colon cancer with liver metastases and a few months to live. He was facing one of the most terrible stages of cancer, but he knew that "WE ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE" and he would not let any cancer to take that away from him. He would face his enemy not to be defeated.
In record time and only two days after diagnosis, Lalo began the first of his countless chemotherapies and to better prepare himself for his fight to total healing, he designed a strategy with three main objectives:
1) STOP THE GROWTH OF THE DISEASE with chemotherapies,
2) STRENGTHEN THE BODY by changing his diet and resuming exercise and
3) STRENGTHEN THE MIND AND SPIRIT through meditation and mental programming that would allow him to visualize his immune system as something powerful and invincible (an army of Jedis) and the disease as something weak, confused and easy to defeat (Storm Troopers).
Lalolópez taught us to live this fight in a fun way. The word "cancer" stopped making us shiver when he renamed it as "pisces", a much more friendly sign. He made us part of this adventure in which we enjoyed all the ups and we said "fuck" with him in the downs.
Lalo also said that "THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DEMAND YOURSELF IN LIFE IS TO DO IT THE BEST YOU CAN", and he showed it to us when he reached the best version of himself. He faced adversity as only an exceptional person does, and even during his own treatments, he helped as many as he could.
He created the Pandaton race with a different logic, where there is no predetermined distance and in which, since 2015, the covered miles help other people in their fight against cancer.
Lalolópez in Pandaton 2016
I bring testimony that Lalo fought until the last moment and, most importantly, he won. He did not accept the prognosis that he only had three months to live and he continued to widen his life for more than three and a half years.
He managed to create the most united squad of support and left us the most beautiful philosophy of life.
And although I can not help feeling immensely sad about his departure, I know that someday I will see him again. In the meantime, I can promise him to live day by day as he taught us.
If you didn't meet Lalolópez, you can not miss his blog "DIARIO DE UN GUERRERO" (I'm sorry it is only available in spanish) where he tells his fight in a very unique and funny way. I assure you that you will not stop reading until you finish the last page.
The world needs more exceptional people. If you have someone in your life that is like Lalolópez, you should feel very lucky because they are the ones who leave us the most important lessons.
If you still don't know anyone like this, do not be discouraged, maybe it's time for you to become another Lalolópez.
Endless thanks to you, Lalo.
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