On A Serious Note...

Wendy, one of my closest friends, sent me a note that I found really touching. It seems that everyone we know has been going through some challenges, but I wanted to pass this along to you, as a reminder that you're luckier than you think.


...My dad's best friend's brother, whose family I know quite well and who lives in Minneapolis (they used to invite me over for dinner at times when I lived there) just died of cancer yesterday. I've been thinking about it all day today. He was told 2 weeks ago he had cancer and that he had 2 months to live. His two sons, one a junior in HS and one a sophomore in college were on their spring break in CO when the parents found out that the dad was dying. He died 2 weeks later. Another good, good friend of my parents and mine, the mayor of Charles City's wife and whose son I grew up with (Joe) who in fact was also my substitute German teacher in high school and who, for the past 5 years or so has invited me to their home for long talks and dinners when I am in Iowa, also got a life sentence from her doctor a month or so ago. 5 months to live. Same deal, she had no idea she had cancer. She went in to the doctor complaining of back pain, and was told she has cancer and has 5 months to live.

It's really put death on my mind lately. Then I see new moms with new babies, 2 friends of mine here are having babies in 3 months, where life is just beginning. Your babies, great example! And I start to wonder what our purpose is (besides to procreate), maybe there is no other purpose but that, I don't know really. This question has come up in my mind millions of times, but it hits harder when people die that I know that still have a lot of life to live. And I think about how I would deal with death in my own intimate family. I have the understanding that we are here for a very short, and unpredictable amount of time, and I can think that over and over to explain the death sentences of my friends with cancer, but it is so incredibly sad....to think about death of your loved ones and to think of your own death.

MaryAnn Erb's family has a website with chemo updates, her daily schedule and other updates on her health, videos, photos, and a guestbook where you can write messages to her and her family while she is going through chemo. Her family wants her to fight it, while she has come to terms with her life sentence. Anyway, you just can feel the sadness and heaviness of the emotions in the videos. For example, she played some piano pieces...a mini piano recital.... all knowing that it would probably be her last. You hear sniffles and see some tears here and there. What pain....man. Pain for their family. I feel for them.

Life is too short to let those moments with your family pass you by with just work on the mind. This is very difficult to master and I am the first to admit I get stressed out about tiny, small stuff and then have a short fuse....but death, man. Just thinking about it makes you want to grab your loved ones and hold them for a long time and tell them you love them. Everyday.