You guys thank you so much. I am overwhelmed by your caring. And so many names I haven't seen here in ages. Turtlehead, hey!!!
FH, My thoughts are with you and your family. It's so soon after your dad's passing for this scare in your family now. (((((FH)))))
Emails, letters and phone calls keep pouring in to my SIL, from people all over who had been touched/lifted up by my brothers kindness and gentle, fun loving spirit.
At Gray's campfire I used to speak of his wife's battle with ovarian cancer (12 yrs). They were married 17 years and she was incredibly sick for most of those, but he remained supportive and loving all that time. Maxing out two medical insurance companies and filing bankruptcy. He even traveled all over looking for an experimental treatment that might help.
Their marriage was one of the best I have ever seen. I don't think they were capable of passing the other by without touching each other.
He gave me away at my wedding last summer at a huge expense to him, even offering to help pay for my wedding itself.
We got a letter from a man that my SIL hadn't heard Mike mention, and the man said that he had met Mike 9 years ago at an airport and they got to talking. Well the man was going through a divorce and in a great amount of pain, lost his wife, his job and the will to live. My brother spent some time with him and then called a business associate out east and set up an interview for this man. The man got the job and they had remained in touch through email all these years. The man told my SIL that he owed the last 9 years of his income to Mike.
These are the kinds of letters she is getting about her husband and it brings her great comfort to know that he has touched so many and was loved by so many.
You guys, be good to one another. Take care of one another. And treat your brother's and sister's well, cuz let me tell you it hurts when they are gone. I had a very close R with my brother but my other siblings did not. And their pain is astronomical, because now they have regrets. And there is nothing so awful as regrets about having put off until tomorrow making that phone call or making that visit, sending that card/letter... when you lose a loved one.
My SIL is well provided for finanically, his company has agreed to carry her on the medical for 36 more months (can you believe it?) and she is currently in remission. So hopefully she keeps the will to continue to fight.
I asked SIL what their secret was and she said, respect and care. She said that's it. We cared about each other.
