Transition, Moving Forward

This week I had lunch with my friends in the VHL office for the last time. We were marking a major transition in my life — retiring from 21 years of service to the VHL Alliance, and moving forward to the next chapter in my life.

It was a bittersweet moment for me, rather like sending a child off to college. We have grown up together, and now that he has reached his majority he is going off on his own into the world. I wish him well and hope that he will be even more successful than we were in the first 21 years! And at the same time I hope he won’t forget me, will call and write, will come home for holidays — maybe even ask my opinion from time to time.

Similarly, I will not forget the good folks in the VHL community. My son still has VHL, I still care deeply about the VHL community and will continue to do what I can for them. But now my perspective is broader. With Mike Lawing and the the Powerful Patient I am looking to work across many diseases, find things that will help all of us live to the fullest no matter what conditions we are dealing with, learn to sail no matter which way the wind is blowing, and apply our talents and creativity to making the world a better place for us all.

I was given a number of patches from friends and country groups around the world. I’m a quilter, and am expected to bring them together into some kind of quilt. I haven’t decided yet just what to do with the fabric, but I thought I would create a virtual quilt here to share with you this important celebration with all my good friends in the VHL community around the world.

My thanks to all for giving me the opportunity to know you and serve you. I hope that our friendship will continue in this new phase of my life. My very best wishes to Ilene, Suzanne, and Susan and the entire VHL Alliance worldwide. I hope with all of you that we will continue to find better ways of managing VHL. But even meanwhile, let’s make sure that we all have Very Happy Lives.