I Will Miss You Uncle

     I have sad news.  My uncle Pat lost his battle with pancreatic cancer late this afternoon.  He faced his illness with courage, determination and most of all hope.

     One of his last wishes was that he would be strong and aware enough to be able to tell his family that he loved them before they said their good-byes.  Thankfully he was able to do that.

     My heart goes out to my aunt Dolores, my cousins Carl, Bobby, Rachel and their families.

     In the past two years, the evil that is cancer continues to ravage, causing cruel and painful deaths. Too many funerals, we have been to far too many funerals. 

      My 86 year old mom, Priscilla, my 67 year old cousin Karen, my 67 year old friend Elaine,  my 36 year old son Joe,  3 year old Sophia, the daughter of Nicole, and 2 year old Brady, the daughter of Sherry.  

     My daughter had to explain to my granddaughter, Bella that Uncle Pat was very sick just like her Nanna and her Uncle Joe had been.  That's a lot for a seven year old to understand. 

     I wonder what would happen if all of the individual research entities would pool their resources and 

co-operate to find a cure instead of competing to be the first one to find a cure. 

     Perhaps then, my great-granddaughter, Lynda Grace, (I'm sure that she will be named after me) will read in her history book about the many lives that had been lost before the cure for the plague called cancer had been discovered.

Here is today's entry from Anna's Diary:

Friday February 15 1929

Laundress here. Mary came with Vera and Marie.  Little walk. Stopped at Elsies. Minnie there.  All came over for tea & strawberry short cake.  Jean and I visited Ethel H. at night.