My dad believed himself to be invincible, and based on his highly convincing attitude and the fact that he was recently approved for a brand new cancer treatment, we had no reason to believe otherwise. He bounced back so many times that I lost track. He continued to beat the odds for almost 4-years, which is the maximum time we were originally given when he was first diagnosed with Stage IV prostate cancer. In the end, it wasn’t the cancer that took his life; we lost him to the aftereffects of the many combined treatments that he was willing to try in order to keep living and loving his life. I believe that we only get so many heartbeats in a lifetime, and his heart took its final precious beat around 11:38 pm on October 1st. I’m positive that he used every single one of those beats to live the best possible life.

The problem with feeling invincible is that you don’t make plans. Up until recently, my dad was still building engines, driving himself wherever he wanted to go, and trying to live life as if he did not have a terminal illness. He left unfinished engines in his shop, and he suddenly and unexpectedly left my mom without any plans to navigate life without him. His income immediately stopped the moment his heart did.

We will rally together as a family, but we need time to rearrange, downsize and to simply breathe and grieve. My mom is the most prideful person I know…she would NEVER ask anyone for help—so it is only with her wellbeing in mind, that I would ever consider asking for help on her behalf. She should be spending the next few months grieving a man who she spent the past 67-years of her life with. A man who never left her worrying about financial matters and who was a phenomenal provider his whole life. My dad is no longer available to offer comfort, reassurance, or financial security to my mom. She just needs a little cushion to help ease her concerns until we can administrate the income sources that my dad left behind. I truly understand that times are tough for many, so if you are unable to contribute financially, your prayers for my mom’s peace, comfort, and well-being would be a true blessing.

Love to all, Nancy