#GoGrayInMay #VABC #BrainCancerAwarenessMonth
“Compared to some of my people down the block, man we were blessed.”— J. Cole
Last year, my father unexpectedly passed away. In January 2014, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Two months later, we elected for chemotherapy treatment. He was intravenously given the medicine on a Friday. He passed away two days later. We were told the greatest risk would be dialysis, not death. The cancer didn’t kill him, the chemotherapy did. Some people have told me it hurts less when you don’t see it coming. I can’t imagine it hurting any more.
Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed to any of us. Benjamin Franklin famously observed, “one today is worth two tomorrows.” Sometimes no amount of time could compensate for one more today. We all know a friend or family member who has suffered from cancer. Everybody has a cancer story in their social network.
When I was a financial advisor, many of my clients lamented to me that they were at a point in their lives where funerals were much more common than weddings. Death is ironic because it can teach us so much about life. I’m sure our elders have gained just as much wisdom from the death of their loved ones as they have gained from their various life experiences.
FOOTNOTE 4 