Heartbreaking...

Wednesday January 3, 2007

My stepdad's condition had worsened over the few months that I had seen him last and hope was fading. I prayed and begged and pleaded to God to make him better, make him ok, but it was not to be in the cards. On October 16th 2006 my aunt in Arizona called me on my cell phone while I was at work. My stepdad had passed away in the night...I started crying.

60 years, 2 months, and 12 days his obituary said...not long enough in my book. He had brain cancer and had barely survived his third surgery to remove a tumor, so a fourth was out of the question. He was the sweetest man you could ever hope to know, if not a little quirky. Even when he was in pain he always said he was feeling ok. He always had a smile for me and always asked me how I was doing and how my husband was doing. He never complained about the pain, the medications, the chemo, or anything. He just pushed on, fighting until he could fight no more.

When my aunt called I asked if Mom was ok and if someone was with her. I felt so bad not being there with her. She said Mom was handling it and she had been with her the night before. I told her to be sure and call me to let me know when the funeral was going to be so I could fly out. I called my husband and told him the news, then I called Mom to talk with her. She said she was ok and I made her promise to call me if she needed anything.

The memorial service was October 28th. Bruce had wanted to be cremated and his ashes spread with his mom's in San Diego. My Mom and two aunts will be taking him out there in February. It's most unfair. He had a lot of life still ahead of him, but cancer took that away. We all miss him terribly.