Woke Up This Morning...

I got news this morning from my ex-fiance' Mike that his uncle Gary only has a couple of weeks left to live. Over the years, Mike and I got these calls a few times, that he was really sick, that we should fly out...but this time, it's real. He is ready to go.

Gary has had pancreatic cancer for as long as I have known Mike...so long that he has lived longer than any other person in the United States with the disease. I remember when Mike and I got together in the summer of 1999, Gary was given six weeks to live.

Some people prepare to die when they get a terminal diagnosis, but Gary wasn't gonna have that. He retired from work, got married, had a beautiful little boy, built a new house, travelled, and then travelled some more. On top of all this, his sense of humor stayed completely intact, even on his sickest days. On one trip down to his house in San Diego, the swimming pool hadn't heated up yet, so Gary, with a 103 degree temperature offered to go lay out in the pool to heat it up.

I hate that Gary fought the hell out of this disease, and it is finally beating him. There were so many times where the cancer shrank to almost undetectable levels. There was always a hope that it wouldn't come back. Even at the worst times though, he just kept making plans and living his life.

I admit that I have spent the better part of today crying about this situation. I'm guessing Gary would prefer it the other way around, but if you knew him, you'd realize what a bright light this guy is and how much he will be missed. Can't even think of a just way to wrap this except that I finally understand what 'valiant battle' means...Gary epitomizes the phrase, with humor and grace.