I stole this picture from postsecret.blogspot.com. It's one of my main thoughts I've had for the past five months or so. Most people who read this may already know, but we found out in April that Tracey's Father has brain cancer. This is a blog post I've started several times, but did not finish. Time, work, surrounding events, etc. blocked me from getting this all out in a post. The long story short, Pat (Tracey's Father) had skin cancer about two years ago. It was dealt with and he got a clean bill of health. I don't know all the "sciene" of it, but I guess they missed some cancer cells that chilled out dormant in Pat, and earlier this year decided to make themselves known in the form of brain cancer. I'll spare any more medical details, because who cares really? The reality was that they could not operate on his brain and had to attack with chemo and radiation. Pat is a fighter and one hell of a Father-in-law, and he's still fighting. What "they" are telling us now is that he will probably not make it through the weekend. He recently turned 62 years old. If you know Pat, you know he's a lover of life and has fully enjoyed his time so far on earth. I'm not sure what is enough time, but 62 yrs is not. Pat is a fan of everybody and everyone's best friend. If Pat does not like you, then you're a really bad person. He's a woodworker, a teacher, a great Father, his daughter's biggest fan and supporter. It destroys me to see my wife go through this. Tracey has the summers off from work and has spent most of that time in Cincinnati with her Father and family, being the angel she is. She's incredible and it's not right that she has to go through this. I know that is a somewhat hypocritical statement because eventually, you have to go through this. Which brings me back to the postsecret photo.

We've joked about our "problems" we had when we were in college, or high school. We'd take them back in a second compared to our current ones. But that's the problem, when you're in the "now", whatever age that is, issues seem to be big, until maybe years later you look back and laugh at yourself for being so stupid or weak. Life is short, an obvious statement, flippant even. Life is but a vapor, as one Bible translation would say. I've never felt that more strongly than right now. Going out to dinner tonight we almost got broadsided by a Navigator running a red light. When is your time? When is your significant others time? Or various family members time? I realize the smallness of my feelings compared to the millions feeling the same thing, right at this moment, not to mention those from the past. That does not diminish my feelings or thoughts for a second. If anything, imminent death can help keep your perspective on the small things that are stupid and suck. Don't let them steal your life away! Enjoy the NOW, it may be all you get. I know, what a cliché. Can’t help it at the moment. What's next after this shortness we call life? Well, that's for you to decide. I have my opinions and thoughts. I'll let you know when I get there :-) I just needed to write this out. I'm not sure of the point, except to just do it. For today, I'll move forward enjoying my now. Enjoying my wonderful wife, breath in my lungs, great family/friends and my first place baseball team. Here's to you never having to write a blog/letter or whatever like this, but knowing you will have to, if you have not already. Thanks for reading.