Sept. 7, 2010
For Immediate Release

By Joan C. McKinney, news and publications coordinator

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Sept. 11, 2001 broke Dr. Bob Fisher's heart. And he decided to do something about it.

Fisher, president of Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., lost his daughter's fiancé in the attack on the World Trade Centers in New York Sept. 11. Adam, 26, “lived life flat out,” Fisher said, and, after his death, he and his wife, Judy, decided to work on a project to figure out how to measure life.

The Fishers conducted 104 interviews with patients in the Alive Hospice program who ranged in age from five to 98 and who had less than six months to life. They published a book titled “Life is a Gift: Inspiration from the Soon Departed.”

Fisher told Campbellsville University staff about the lessons learned from the interview process and discussed what really matters in life and what really matters at CU.

“The dying need the community, and the community need the dying,” he said. He urged staff members to “be on the right track” and not just “living life like you are doing time.”

He told his audience about priorities, simple pleasures, regrets and forgiveness.

Fisher urged everyone to “love deeper and speaker sweeter.”

“If you care about someone, tell them. If you get a kid to smile at you, you've had a good day,” he said.

“Be careful with people. They are precious things,” he said.

He challenged the staff to give joy. “People deserve to be celebrated and lifted up. Forgive someone and apologize. Be reconciled to one another,” he said.

Fisher told the staff not to forget to point students to God. “God gifted every student talents, and God gave them for a reason and purpose,” he said.

“The greatest privilege in life is not about you,” Fisher said, “but it is who can you serve today.”

Fisher pointed out that Campbellsville University and Belmont University have many things in common. He said both are faith-based where we can “share the love of God and love and respect each other.”

Fisher said he was “so impressed” with Campbellsville University.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 45 undergraduate programs, 16 master's degrees and five postgraduate areas. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.