Gone too Soon
To me cancer is a monster who has took a lot of people away from me over the years. It started with my father. Cancer took him when I was only 12. Then a decade or so later it took my grandfather, then my other grandfather a few years after the first one. It took my step grandfather in 2004 and it took my son's 9 year old cousin 8 years ago. I hate cancer.
Now, it is taking someone else. For about 30 years almost off and on I lived in the same neighborhood that we moved to after my father died. I grew up in a small city that would remind most people of a small town and if you asked most people at that time where this city was they could not tell you only if they lived there or had people or friends who lived there. It was a small city in between two bigger cities. We moved there in the 70's and it was not easy in a lot of ways. But, over the years it changed, for the better. People came and people went and one of the people who came was couple who brought a house on the same block but near the corner of where we were living. They were very nice and very sweet. A few years younger then me, the wife was, the husband was around the same age. The wife was like a second mom to my youngest nephew. One day he was riding his scooter back and forth to the corner and she noticed him while she was gardening and they started talking. She came down the block and introduced herself that same day to us and asked if was ok for her and my nephew to go to the library down the street the following week. We go to know her and her husband over the years and like I said before they were the best neighbors anyone could ask for.
She and I were pregnant at the same time with our sons. It was a happy coincidence. She thought had the flu and I thought I had something else. Finally both of us went to our doctors and both realized we didn't have the flu or anything else but were pregnant. Her son and my son were born ten days apart. I had mine first then she had hers. In between no sleep and feedings at 3am I would walk my son down to her house and she would walk hers to mine and we would talk about the babies. How big they were getting and how much sleep we were missing. It was all good though. When my son turned a little over a year old we moved from the neighborhood to my grandmother's old house for a couple of years. After we moved she sold her house and moved about 6 months later or so. Then two years later they had another son. She said that was going to be her last baby and that her family was complete. Her family moved to the border of the little city we all lived in.
Now, our first born sons are almost 11 years old and Ali is sick. I think it all started according to my nephew with cancer in her eye and then it spread to other parts of the body. I haven't seen her since we all moved but her husband does a medical blog for her to let everyone know how she is doing and she is doing as well as she can be considering she is dealing with that horrible monster. They don't know how much time she has left. Nobody knows that. Her doctors are increasingly talking about hospice now and Ali being as brave and as strong as she is not considering that right now. I don't blame her. Her husband said that usually when they talk about hospice they don't think you have too much longer to live about 6 months. I hope she has a lot longer then that. I pray that she does. I just hate, hate, hate cancer.
Cancer has taken too many people not only from me but from millions of other people also. Did I say how much I hate cancer? I really do.
Now, it is taking someone else. For about 30 years almost off and on I lived in the same neighborhood that we moved to after my father died. I grew up in a small city that would remind most people of a small town and if you asked most people at that time where this city was they could not tell you only if they lived there or had people or friends who lived there. It was a small city in between two bigger cities. We moved there in the 70's and it was not easy in a lot of ways. But, over the years it changed, for the better. People came and people went and one of the people who came was couple who brought a house on the same block but near the corner of where we were living. They were very nice and very sweet. A few years younger then me, the wife was, the husband was around the same age. The wife was like a second mom to my youngest nephew. One day he was riding his scooter back and forth to the corner and she noticed him while she was gardening and they started talking. She came down the block and introduced herself that same day to us and asked if was ok for her and my nephew to go to the library down the street the following week. We go to know her and her husband over the years and like I said before they were the best neighbors anyone could ask for.
She and I were pregnant at the same time with our sons. It was a happy coincidence. She thought had the flu and I thought I had something else. Finally both of us went to our doctors and both realized we didn't have the flu or anything else but were pregnant. Her son and my son were born ten days apart. I had mine first then she had hers. In between no sleep and feedings at 3am I would walk my son down to her house and she would walk hers to mine and we would talk about the babies. How big they were getting and how much sleep we were missing. It was all good though. When my son turned a little over a year old we moved from the neighborhood to my grandmother's old house for a couple of years. After we moved she sold her house and moved about 6 months later or so. Then two years later they had another son. She said that was going to be her last baby and that her family was complete. Her family moved to the border of the little city we all lived in.
Now, our first born sons are almost 11 years old and Ali is sick. I think it all started according to my nephew with cancer in her eye and then it spread to other parts of the body. I haven't seen her since we all moved but her husband does a medical blog for her to let everyone know how she is doing and she is doing as well as she can be considering she is dealing with that horrible monster. They don't know how much time she has left. Nobody knows that. Her doctors are increasingly talking about hospice now and Ali being as brave and as strong as she is not considering that right now. I don't blame her. Her husband said that usually when they talk about hospice they don't think you have too much longer to live about 6 months. I hope she has a lot longer then that. I pray that she does. I just hate, hate, hate cancer.
Cancer has taken too many people not only from me but from millions of other people also. Did I say how much I hate cancer? I really do.
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