‘Reality…’

This past week I received the news that my test results were benign.

This past week my dad finished his radiation treatment for prostate cancer.

This past week some of my dearest friends gathered to cook and sing for another cherished friend going through her own struggle.

Today I woke up feeling incredibly vulnerable, grateful, and focused.

Vulnerable

Being vulnerable makes us human and man do I feel human.

I think about my health and the quality of my life, both in the present and for the future quite often. It’s been my motivation for eating clean(er) and living a healthier lifestyle these last three years. My severe Psoriasis has taken a toll on my body and so too have the treatments I’ve sought to help in the first 30 + years of my life.

My go-to treatment, exposure to the sunshine, comes with some risk. So, I have always watched my skin closely for cancerous looking lesions that might develop as a result. Recently, there was something to be concerned about. But thankfully, it was just a scare and nothing more. Still, it was a good reminder to remain vigilant with my sun protection as I move forward.

Giving Thanks

Today I am giving thanks.

Most days I feel fortunate to live my life but as I get older I feel fortunate to be in good health. My mom taught me some excellent lessons throughout life: family is everything, ice cream can be enjoyed at midnight and money cannot buy you health. And without health, you have nothing.

Prior to summer my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. This week he finished his radiation treatments and the prognosis looks good.

I am thankful. It’s been a rough few months for him and I know he was scared. We all were. And I was also incredibly nervous for my own diagnosis. As a matter of fact, I didn’t tell anyone, only my wife and siblings. I just couldn’t bring myself to mention it to him.

Throughout my life there has been one person who has always been there to support me. From every primary school assembly to every 6:00am Tuesday morning hockey practice right up until I was 14. He has been there to offer advice solicited or not. He has beamed with pride or has wanted to ring my neck, depending on the occasion. He is the most selfless, kindest human I have ever met. He is my dad.

If you know him, you know it’s true.

So, I am thankful. Thankful for my father’s health and thankful for my own.

Focused

In 2002 I was the chef of a hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado. My dad called and wondered if I was happy. More specifically, was I happy working 15-hour days while watching my wife ski on the weekends with my sous chefs? Was I happy that my Psoriasis was so bad, it was debilitating?

No. I was not happy.

Looking back, I was miserable. Somehow my father new and he saved me. He knew exactly what I needed. He knew because he has always known. Because he is my dad. And he knew I needed a change.

I joined my father at Accurate Fasteners Ltd. in May 2002. My dad was running the company and I wanted to work and learn from him. But I never stopped cooking.

Instead, I cooked ‘behind the scenes’ writing cookbooks and consulting, but doing little on the front lines. At least nothing to draw attention to my culinary life. But that has ended. I have been back for some time now and I plan on staying!

My focus is no longer the same as when I was a young cook and chef. Today, my focus is clearly defined on helping people.

In two weeks I will be travelling to New York City to cook for 500 less fortunate people on Thanksgiving. In February of 2018, we will create a five-course meal for 125 guests through the “Out of the Cold” program in Toronto. I am also developing a program to assist Toronto families who are living below the poverty line. The aim is to create a healthy, delicious meal plan on a strict budget. And in June of 2018, in a combined effort with Jewish Family and Child Care Services, we are going to be turning my old school, The Jerome D Diamond Adolescent Center, into a restaurant. We hope to raise thousands of dollars for the school.

I will continue raising money for charities close to my heart and will never stop doing what makes me the happiest; making a difference in someone else’s life. I didn’t feel this way at 25 or 35 years old, but at 45 I have a new focus in life. My family, my health and how to have a positive affect on others.

In recent years, I have found what it means to affect someone. It can be something as simple as handing Toronto Raptors tickets to an unsuspecting delivery man or dropping off food to a friend who may be under the weather. Raising money for causes I believe in is important and something I will always do. I have also realized the huge impact a small gesture can have.

My dad loves my Kick-Ass Granola and I owe him a few bags. I think I’ll bring them over today.

Love you dad. Love you Lis.

Love,
Chef JW