This past week was filled with nothing but BAD news.
First up was the news of my Dear Father-In-Law having a rapidly spreading cancer ravishing his body. This man over the past 25 years has treated me like one of his own. The cancer was already stage 4 when they found it and the oncologist told him on Tuesday they really could not treat it with any reasonable hope of a good outcome.
Sunday brought us a double whammy of bad news.
My Father-In-Law was rushed to the hospital Sunday morning vomiting blood. He allowed them to do a blood transfusion but has declined any further treatment. Bottom line is he is ready to go home to the lord.
He has been a primitive Baptist Preacher for well over 30 years and was the Pastor at 2 very small rural churches. He lost his wife of over 50 years 6 years ago and wants nothing more than to go be with her.
Then Sunday afternoon I was informed that a very dear friend of mine was rushed to the hospital after being found on his couch non-responsive. He stopped breathing on the way and they were unable to revive him. He had been having breathing issues for a long time and was a 2 pack a day smoker. I tried many times to convert him to vaping over the last 2 years but it just was not to be. August 1 2016 was his 46th birthday. John was one of those guys that helped people time and time again. He could always make you laugh. RIP John Your kindness to all that knew you will be missed by so many.
For those of you that Pray please keep my Father-In-Law Elder Payne in your prayers that his suffering will be minimal. He has made his whishes very clear that he wants no further life prolonging treatments.
Also keep my wife Lisa in your prayers as well because her Dad asked her to be the one in charge of his medical decisions if he is unable. She went thru this with her mother 6 years ago and it was hard on her then so I am sure this will be hard for her now.
I’m so sorry to hear of such bad news. I feel for your wife since it has not been all that long ago I had to say goodbye to my parents. It is so very hard to lose your parents. I pray she stays strong and her father goes peacefully. I hope you too get to feeling better after the loss of your friend…
I will pray for Elder, Lisa, your entire family and you. I know all too well the weight of your situation brother, and I pray for your strength and wisdom because your family will look to you for that.
And I’m sorry to hear about your friend. As long as vaping exists, don’t give up with your effort to help people. You never know when what you say will make that one person think, give it a try and then live longer for it. God bless you.
Thank you all for the support. I have never had a hard time dealing with the loss of loved ones as I truly believe we go to a better place. I have always been the rock that everyone leans on in times like this.
I would however be lying if I said this was the case now. It was bad enough finding out about POP’s my Father-In-Law but to lose John suddenly and unexpectedly like this at the same time is killing me.
Of all the people that have come and gone in my life John was as true a friend as a man could possibly have in life. I truly feel blessed having been able to know him the way I did. We would sit and talk for hours and neither of us ever ran out of things to say. We don’t often find that kind of friendship in life.
My Pop’s is going to be just as hard to deal with. I have never known anyone in my life that could put things into perspective like he could. A couple of weeks ago he sat down alone with just me and had a very long heart to heart talk. He told me then that things were worse than he was letting anyone else know at that time. Preparing to lose him is not easy at all but I take great comfort in the fact he felt compelled to confide in me the way he did. He is one of those folks that everyone that meets him instantly loves him.
Again thank you all for allowing me to get this off my chest. It truly helps.
I lost both of my parents, both smokers at 72 and 46 is way too young to pass.
May faith in the fact you will see them again carry you through…
I do understand. My 10 year old son Aaron was killed by a hit and run driver a year before I lost my parents so I will tell you this life is not fair. I don’t understand most of the time why it has to be so awful at times but I will tell you also - losing them made me a better human being. I “know” you can say goodbye to someone one minute - and they can be gone forever ten minutes later.
Please know your family is in my thoughts and heart. Know you are not alone, my friend.
And that’s the thing to focus on brother! I always told my kids - because they use the word “friend” so loosely - that if they live to be old and die saying they only ever had 1 true friend in life, that they were truly blessed. Friendship, to me anyway, is something sacred. And true friends are just slightly less common than unicorns. So focus on the blessing you had in life. I know, not very comforting, but true nonetheless. Stay tuff.
I lost my mum to cancer in 2006 she was 49, a non smoker, didnt drink…
Seeing her in the hospice was hard but she was the most positive person ever, she smiled as much as she could and when we got those few hours to ourselves she would comfort me as much I could her.
Her gift to me was positivity and a realist outlook, we all die, it’s harsh I know but when someone who is dieing looks you
In the eye with a smile and let’s you know everything is going to be ok, your going to be strong, your going to keep moving because that’s life, you learn something valuable.
We live, love and learn, in the end when we pass it’s the people survived that have to deal with it, deal with it positively, with love in your heart and positivity in your mind.
Bless you all and stay positive @wvsanta they live through your memory’s now.
You’re all in my thoughts.
