How do you continue living when you've been told your life will be shorter than you hoped?
Join us for what promises to be one of the most heartfelt and unforgettable evenings in our Speaker Series as local entrepreneur, aviator, educator, and community member Gary Gordon shares his deeply personal journey of living with Stage IV terminal cancer.
Gary isn't coming to talk about dying. He's coming to talk about living.
Through remarkable honesty, humor, and grace, Gary will share how a terminal diagnosis transformed—not diminished—his life. Rather than becoming consumed by fear or grief, he discovered what he calls "the richest season of my life," finding new joy, purpose, love, and meaning in each day.
The evening will be divided into two thoughtful conversations.
Part One: Living with Terminal Cancer
Gary will offer an intimate look into what it's truly feels like to receive—and live with—a terminal diagnosis.
He'll candidly answer the questions many people are afraid to ask, including:
💙 What does life actually look like after a Stage IV diagnosis?
💭 What thoughts, fears, and unexpected joys accompany each day?
❤️ How has his perspective on life, relationships, and time changed?
🌅 Why he believes this chapter has become one of the richest seasons of his life
❓"Questions You Were Afraid to Ask Your Dying Friend"—answered with honesty and compassion.
Part Two: How to Support Someone You Love
Many of us desperately want to help a friend or family member facing a life-threatening illness—but we simply don't know how.
Gary will share practical, heartfelt guidance about:
🤝 What to say—and what not to say
❤️ How to be present without trying to "fix" the situation
🌿 The simple acts of kindness that matter most
💬 Why your presence may be the greatest gift you can give
📋 Helpful "Do's and Don'ts" for supporting someone nearing the end of life (handout available if provided)
Before illness reshaped his path, Gary spent decades pursuing extraordinary dreams. He helped pioneer the sport of hang gliding, founded Windhaven Glider Rides, where he introduced thousands of people to the wonder of silent flight, created Project UPlift, providing complimentary glider rides for cancer patients, and later founded Santa Ynez Valley Solar, inspired by a belief that the sun freely offers all the energy we need if we're willing to harness it.
Today, Gary's newest purpose is perhaps his most meaningful:
Helping others discover that even in life's most difficult moments, there can still be beauty, connection, gratitude, and hope.
This isn't a lecture about illness. It's a conversation about courage. About friendship. About showing up for one another.
And ultimately, about making the most of whatever time we are given.
Whether you've experienced cancer personally, cared for someone facing serious illness, or simply want to learn how to become a better friend, this promises to be an evening that will stay with you long after the conversation ends.
RSVP to sonja@clementinecarterwines.com