Inspiration from Clouds: Remembering Zach Sobiech
Recently a friend told me about a movie that made him not just cry, but sob. I am a sucker for those kinds of movies, so I knew I had to watch it. Then he told me that it was based on the true story of a young man with terminal cancer. I immediately grabbed the remote and a box of tissues.
The movie, called Clouds, is the story of Zach Sobiech, a boy who was diagnosed at age 14 with bone cancer. At 17, despite years of chemotherapy, he was declared terminal and was given only months to live. The movie tells the remarkable story of those last months of his life.
The movie hits close to home
Like my friend, I watched Clouds with tears streaming down my face and snot dripping down my nose. And I sobbed so hard in parts that my dog rushed over to comfort me. It was a scene that would make anyone wonder why I would put myself through such a movie, especially one that hits so close to home.
Zach’s cancer was osteosarcoma, not blood cancer, but the similarities and differences to my own story were jolting. Like me, Zach’s cancer first showed up in his left hip. And Zach, who lived only 4 hours from my home, was also diagnosed and underwent chemotherapy at the University of Minnesota.
But unlike me, Zach was still in high school and would never see college. My heart broke for this beautiful young man who would not experience the joy of getting married and having children. And my heart shattered for his parents. I couldn’t imagine losing a child to cancer. Many of those heaving sobs were for his mother.
It is sad and equally inspirational
But I watch these heart-wrenchingly sad movies because they make me feel more alive and connected to something bigger than my own life. Even though my heart is crying, my soul is rejoicing and remembering what it feels like to love being alive. Zach didn’t take a second of those last months on earth for granted. If you’ve heard his hit song Clouds, you know that Zach spent his remaining time singing the music in his heart. Instead of writing goodbye letters to his loved ones, he wrote songs.
And the story of those songs is the marrow of the movie. No spoilers here, but Zach’s story is a testament to love, courage, joy, and the transformational power of music. It is the story of what happens when we realize we have nothing to lose, let go and become free enough to sing along with the music that our hearts are already singing.
What I took away from the movie
Zach’s most powerful message is this: “You don’t have to find out you are dying to start living.” And Zach lived more in his last few months of life than many do in a lifetime. He chose to embrace the rest of his short life with zeal and zest and an unwavering commitment to express his inner passion. As he said, “You can either sit in your basement and wait, or you can get out there and do some crazy stuff.”
I’m not doing much crazy stuff these days, but I’m not sitting in my basement either. I may have more time left than Zach did, but I want to experience more of that passion for life that he exemplified. Worry less and smile more. Let go of thoughts that no longer serve me and, instead, tune into the steady stream of love, presence, and inspiration. And when I am told that my treatments are no longer working, I want to do some crazy stuff. But mostly I want to live like my treatments are no longer working, like every moment is a precious gift, and like my only job is to transcribe the music already written in my soul.
Zach continues to make the world a better place
Zach lives on and continues to make the world a better place. He donated all proceeds from his song Clouds to the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma fund, which has already raised over two million dollars to help find better treatments for kids with osteosarcoma.
See more about Zach’s incredible story. But first, grab the entire box of tissues.
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