Monday's blues...and other things

Hey all...

Just heard today about Peter Jennings. It truly is sad. When they played various tributes on CNN tonight about Peter Jennings, I was amazed he'd been on the air at ABC for that long (22 years). It's amazing how time gets away from a person.

At any rate, Mr. Jennings passed from lung cancer. They gave an alarming statistic today (according to my mother)...only 14% of lung cancer patients live past the five year mark. My father has been lucky to be alive since his first diagnosis with the same disease in 1998. Wow...seven years ago this coming December.

I still remember how I felt when I first heard the news. They gave my dad 18 months, tops. It wasn't an easy road back then for him (he didn't like being bald and asked my then-husband, quote, "How the HELL could you stand to shave your head on PURPOSE?" Ed answered, "I don't know. I just look like crap with hair, that's all I know." ), and this past summer has been a very chaotic one. He's a good sight better than he was last month, but the docs say he has a lot more ahead, between physical therapy and respiratory therapy.

You know, though...one thing that's gotten my dad (and our whole nuclear family, really) through tough times is a sense of humor. We know there's a time to be serious, but sometimes you have to laugh at things too in order to survive. I'm sure our method is not unusual by any means...we just happen to delight in it a bit more than average folks.

I know I started out talking about Peter Jennings and wound up with Dad, but I guess it just struck me today that they had the disease in common.

I just wish Peter had a second chance at life like my father has. However, he will live on as one of those driving forces in the news industry that didn't have to write a book like Tom Brokaw or be a spaz like Dan Rather (sorry, Dan, but it's the truth). He was not afraid to approach a news story in a dangerous part of the world. During 9/11, he put in a veritable news marathon that I'm sure we'll remember for many years to come. He always strived to do a good job, and was remembered by many for being as kind as he was thorough.

I know that whenever my dad passes, he will live on in the hearts and minds of his family and friends as being warm, caring, generous in spirit and a funny guy. He gave his all to take care of his parents as they grew older. He is a loving and much-loved husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. All our friends growing up had no reluctance in calling my dad "Dad", even when they had fathers of their own they loved just as much. I believe my parents established that saying, "It takes a village" long before Hillary Clinton wrote a book about it. I wouldn't trade the memories of my dad that I have, or the ones I know will come later, for anything in the world.

Memories such as those listed above are what I believe constitute the parts of a person's "soul" that they leave behind with the rest of us. That's how they live on. I know this is not the usual Sudiegirl "bill of fare", but I just felt that it was necessary to write these thoughts down tonight before they leave my head and I kick myself for not writing them out.

R.I.P., Mr. Jennings...

Love you, Daddy

Your Sudiegirl

UPDATE:

I was just looking for something on Yahoo! and ran across this cancer awareness event online called Blog for Hope. It's a 30 day event designed to raise cancer awareness in many ways. When you click on the link you'll be directed to a blog entry and more information about how you can help. If you have cancer, know someone who has cancer, or are a plain old every day nice person, please take a look. You will be inspired by the bravery, and maybe you can figure out ways to raise cancer awareness on your blog or in your community.

Civically yours,

Sudiegirl!