Tom with sweet little Oreo

Telling a friend goodbye is never easy. Saying goodbye to a friend who has been fighting cancer for many months (years) and has been loved by his wife and his children and will be missed by all is very difficult.

Watching that family struggle with his care these past months was painful, though. His wife admitted in her recent email update to her friends that he is ready. And this morning, he breathed his last. No more feeding tube, no more anti-nausea medications, pain medications, and acid-reflux medications.

All those who love him must now move forward without his presence. That's the hardest part.

We will miss your gentle spirit in our lives, Tom. You were the quiet one, there in the background, but you were there and now you will not be.

I am so grateful that we have the Relay coming up next month so that we will have the opportunity to celebrate your life and the lives of all those who have survived the cancer struggles. We'll light luminaria and walk in silence under the stars for you and for the many others who line the track, survivors and honored alike. For you...