Greetings!
"No, I did not pull my hair out and yes I am still your grandpa." a hat helps to keep me a little warmer and to camouflage the stranger the grandkids see. Who is that guy anyway? Is he Daddy Warbucks, Shrek in real life, Dallin Oaks, Lex Luther or Yul Brenner? You decide (hint Daddy Heritage might be closer).

Ah, another morning with gratitude, excitement and curiosity. Yesterday morning was taken up with a German holistic MD. Reminders of basis nutrients, how to alcholize the body, foods to avoid and foods to increase, alternative therapies and how to buffer myself against the short and long term effects of chemo. The next round is tomorrow. Then it was back to the office for more strategic discussion about priorities and initiatives for product and technology development to support simplification and functionality of Studio and maximization of effectiveness for telling the HM story. It was all very good and I love working with a small, but oh so committed Executive Team. Justin particularly shined today with work on a new user interface for HM - EXCITING. Although the vision and workload of these projects will take six months to complete, the simplification and user friendliness will be incredible.

Then I went to a Scan Party Wendy McGee was doing. It is always such a treat to see Celebrations and Scan Parties in action and this one was especially fun. Seeing new comers to HM discover the concepts, and vision of storybooking their heritage is energizing. Thanks Wendy - it was great to be back where the heritage really meets the road.

Thank you to all of you have created and sent such thoughtful, encouraging and sharing cards letters and books. Each day I get to the office and there are greetings from many of you from across the country. Thank you, thank you. Catching up with formal thank you may take me a bit of time. In the mean time please know that your faith and cards, gifts and books are precious and deeply appreciated. I will save and share them at Reunion so you can see a display of the incredible creativity our HM family has channeled through Studio and StoryCards.

I wanted to share a gift that was waiting on my desk yesterday and which I will treasure forever. It was one of the most beautiful, well done, touching, encouraging and precious books I have ever seen, let alone received. It was a legacy edition gift from the members of Dream Team #10 . It is incredible - we (Judy I ) laughed and we cried. Thank you. Thanks to each of you for you time and investment in my healing and recovery. Until we can hug you in person (at Leadership or Reunion) know that you MADE MY DAY!

Tomorrow it is a trip to SLC to meet with the Bone Marrow transplant team for evaluations. Then Friday round two of the chemo, hopefully with less drastic reaction. Then the weekend to start climbing back from the chemo punch. I must admit I am curious as to how my body will handle the next punch of chemicals. But, I am funneling more of the "good" stuff to help it rebound. I'll give you the recap of the bout after the bell of round 2 - unless it knocks me out for a day or two?

Now, as to sharing of the thoughts and impressions of the night and day. So, here is a question for you. Do your children know what heritage is generally? Do they know the meaning of the word? And do they know what their heritage is? Can they tell their (your) story and articulate your primary values, traditions and why they are so important to your family - their heritage? I see the public service add about "Parents do your know where your kids are?" And, "have you talked to your kids about drugs?" And, "alcohol" and so on, and think, maybe the focus should be, "parents do you kids know their heritage, the meaning of their name?. "Do your children know who they are, what they stand for, how significant they are to you and to their family?"

Don't make the mistake of thinking that this, like the discussions about the "birds and the bees" is something that can wait. This is a discussion that is ongoing, deepening, enduring and wonderful. Start it now, before the public service adds cause you to wonder and to act, perhaps too late. Ours is such a great opportunity and responsibility, such a great adventure, such and important contribution. The message of heritage, if you make it, if you deliver it in your HM conversations, in your celebrations at your scan parties, is, in the long run, more important that what they buy or if they join. Please, never forget that the message is the mission.

I am fully satisfied that those who deliver the message most consistently and most effectively will, in the long run, be most successful financially. They are our Diamonds. They are the real leaders. So again I ask, "do your children know? Start, or continue, their heritage conversation today.

Onward and upward.


Love - Doug