What I learned from Marty Cole

Marty Cole was a good friend and devoted to his family. His commitment to Judaism, the temple and making the world a better place are inspirational. He was a Shabbat "regular" despite the fact that his sales job had him as busy as anybody. His sudden and tragic death on Monday brought out legions of admirers, friends, and family. Here's just some of the wisdom he left us.

Every morning when Marty put his daughters on the school bus he told them the same thing: "Do your best and keep your promises."

Be an organ donor and make sure EVERYBODY knows that about you. Marty was an organ donor - thanks to Karen's support and understanding of Marty's commitments. He donated blood regularly because he was type AB - one of the rarest gems. In his death, Marty saved and brought healing to dozens (literally, dozens!) of people. If you think that Judaism forbids organ donation, you are mistaken. Judaism not only permits but encourages organ donation. If you need to "hear" that from an orthodox source, visit the website of the Halachic Organ Donor Society.

Live life to it's fullest and enjoy the simple pleasures now. Marty surfed, cycled, got a black belt in Tae Kwan Do, excercised daily, loved a good meal, spent quality time with his good friends, and never missed a chance to be with his wife and girls. He was explicit about this and wrote on his PMC rider profile web page: "This past December, at the annual Bikers Dozen Team Holiday Dinner, we raised our glasses to toast some of the simple joys in our lives ... a nice ride, good friends, and helping the greater good. We are blessed with the chance to hop on our bikes, be with a great group, and raise money for a good cause. Unfortunately, we can never forget that those with cancer often forego even the simplest of life’s pleasures as they fight to survive. "

Do your best, keep your promises, live life well, keep your friends close, your family closest, leave the world better than you found it.