Friendship, Heroes, And The Treasures Of Life

Have you ever punched a person so hard in their chest that it felt like your hands grabbed their non-beating heart?

I did this week.

It is the 2nd time in my life that I was able to resuscitate someone by hitting them as hard as I possibly could with my two clenched fists clasped together and all of my strength and body weight coming down on the person who's heart has stopped beating. 

In itself, I can say there is nothing I have ever experienced that could come even remotely from explaining what it is like to exist in that nano-moment place that is between life and death . . . when you try frantically to create - to feel that thump ... thump .... thump of a heart beat. 

Nor can I explain how slow the world moves as your powerful hands strike a mighty blow down onto someone's chest.  The powerful force and inertia of your blow wrapping around a person's lifeless heart, energizing it back to life.

This past week one of my closest friends had a severe heart attack while we were together.  Fortunately, and with a lot of luck and quick-reaction know-how that included what felt like me putting my hand through his chest to get his heart beating again, my dear and cherished friend who once traveled into the storms of abduction with me when I was Chasing The Cyclone is going to be okay. 

God willing, and with time, he will be the same caring, loving, and compassionate goof-ball that he has always been.  One thing I have learned in my near 2 decades of friendship and decade of being business partners together is that if anyone has the ability to have a full recovery, it is my dear friend.

And he better, for we sure do have a lot of work to do . . . not to mention several interesting golf courses around the world we have yet to play on that 'we need to'.

Before I go any further, I would like to tell my dear friend this simple message:

I love you. You have been true to me and our friendship for so long.  You have been teacher, guide, trouble-maker, warrior, partner, confidant, and most of all friend.  Our friendship has covered the globe many times over in our professional work and in what we do to protect children from abduction and kidnapping. And no matter what we faced, we faced so much of it together with a smile and, in your eyes, a sense that all would turn out the way it was suppose to.  So as I celebrate you my dear friend ... take the time to heal, but do so knowing that we have lots to do. In the meantime know I am going to have a delicious Portillo's Italian Steak Sandwich to celebrate you shortly.  By the way ... did I ever mention how funny you look sleeping wearing that funny little blue hospital robe? We'll as a reminder ... you look ridiculous! Nevertheless, I have seen you in even more ridiculous attire ... even though some of that was to do with bringing a child home ... which is always pretty amazing. Still - you look ridiculous and when we celebrate your birthday in October I intend to fully utilize the photos I have taken of you today snoring away like a big ol' lumberjack!

Now to all of my friends who may read this post, I would like to strongly urge each of you to do yourself and those you love a very big thing: make sure you take CPR and Heart Attack resuscitation classes. And even if your' too busy at least go online and watch some of the educational videos available.

This very well could be the difference between taking photos of someone you love as they cut wood in a deep, peaceful slumber that you will definitely use during that person's next birthday celebration, or, well, saying good-bye.

One final note to my pal: you know ... you really changed our plans for this week!  But I am delighted to know that I will complain to you soon enough about that. As for now ... I love you my dear friend.


                                                          WATCH THIS VIDEO

 

Connecting With An Important Part Of My Life That Disappeared 40 Years Ago

When you were a young child did you ever have a really good friend who suddenly disappeared? 

Either their parents moved, stealing away your friend, or your parents did something so horrible - and forced you to move away from your 'life' and your friends? Either way - the safe, trusting world as you knew it was destroyed in moments!

I will never forget the day when, as a young boy growing up in Brooklyn, my very good friend Victoria Vaccariello parents made her move away from our Mill Basin community on January 25th, 1973.

I'll never forget when the moving truck containing all of her family's possessions ... taking away the Vaccariello's kitchen table, couch, and . . . Victoria!!!

Forty years later, I still remember crying on my stoop (where I was the king of stoop ball) as Victoria drove away.  I was so upset that even when my parents took me to Buddy's Amusement Park to take me on some rides in hope to cheer me up, that no roller coaster was able to stop the tears.

I remember vivid details about my childhood and the time I spent with Victoria, including how we would spend so much time together, starting in the morning, when my mom would drive us to school. In fact, before she moved away, we were inseparable, so much so that I gave her chicken pox!  And at times after school ended at PS 203, but always on Tuesday we would go for pizza - which, 40 years later, I now realize why I love pizza so much: it was a tradition that Victoria and I did with our parents; usually with my mom because she is a pizza fanatic, too! And now I know where the 'eating pizza on Friday nights' came from. Remembering ... we would eat pizza often at Victoria's parent's house on Friday night!

But perhaps the one thing that I remember most, and I am not exactly sure when it was, other than to know it happened during the time that I spent with my best friend during the time I was between 5 and 8 years old . . . but I started to think on my own, and as odd as it may sound, I learned that I had a voice . . . that I was an individual . . . ummm . . . with plenty to say!

Funny how looking back at that time, and reflecting about this over the last 20 hours, I realize that it was during the time that I was between 5 and 8 that the foundation of who I am took root. And who was there beside me?  My best friend, Victoria.

Sadly, she moved far away, and pragmatically, the ideals of the promises of 'I will come visit you every other weekend' were out of our own control. 

Now it is not a news flash that our world is becoming closer. 

Amazingly closer and more connected.

I received an email message on Facebook that read:

Hi-is this the Peter from Brooklyn?  I believe we were very good friends as children, until I moved to Long Island in 3rd grade. You have two younger brothers, I have two younger sisters, and my mom Peggy was friends with your mom... You gave me chicken pox :) Maybe you don't remember me, but ... I thought I would reach out!

 

It was my friend Victoria, who had been missing for the past 40 years!!

 

And in the midst of a rather hectic day, I must say, I have not stopped smiling.

 

Victoria and I have emailed one another a few times since her first "I thought I would reach out!".  And I she is expecting my telephone call, which I will do one hour from the time I post this message.

 

I have said life is amazing and filled with magic.  Well, last night life decided to share a little 'extra' magic with me.

 

As for Victoria, I am pleased to say that she has become an accomplished architect including designing buildings at NASA's Goddard Center (one of my dream places - as I have previously written ... who knew!!!) and recently build NIH's massive research facility, while also becoming one of the major building designers in Washington, D.C. - a town I am in all the time due to my work with the I CARE Foundation.  Who knew!!!  Most importantly, she has a beautiful family . . . and in 90 minutes from now, I am going to call her!