From my friend>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My high school friend, and the only friend I have from "my teenage years" called me yesterday. Lila moved to Holland with her husband and adopted daughter about 8 years ago. We lost contact.

Lila called to tell me that she is dying. She is in Stage 4 Cancer.
Two years ago, the doctors removed Lila's lung and after the surgery, she developed a staff infection. The Dutch physicians wanted to prevent her remaining lung from collapsing, so they created an infection which would cause pleurisy. They would attendto the healing and the plan was for her remaining lung to attach itself to a part of the body to prevent that lung's collapse.
Well, her lung collapsed anyway. She convalesced for 4 months in a special care unit.

Lila and her family moved back to the U.S. this August and her husband took a job in Atlanta where they are now living. Recently, Lila went in for a routine check-up in for something that looked suspicious. Lila could tell by the doctor's face; it was cancer.

Lila found out that the original diagnosis was not completely correct. To the best of my understanding, the doctors missed it. She had/has a type of cancer that is found in the esophagus- it has spread throughout her body -she is terminally ill.

Lila is in Stage 4-she takes Oxygotin to ease the pain.

I asked Lila why she hadn't called me sooner. She assumed my number had changed. Yesterday's call was just a fluke chance she said. I purposely never changed my phone number because I was hoping one day she'd call. Our phone call picked up where we left off without missing a beat. I was glad she couldn't see my eyes swell with tears on the other end of the phone.

Lila always had a beautiful head of auburn hear that I envied. When I was out partying and "living it up", Lila got scared of my destructive lifestyle and backed away from me.

But we were similar in so many ways. We both learned to be self-supporting at a "too early age" and we worked our way through night courses at college. Lila attained a Masters Degree in International Finance, taught at West Point, SUNY and was a esteemed professor at an international university near Amsterdam where she lectured on International Finance and International Accounting.

Not bad for a girl who came from a broken home; not too bad for a girl whose father used to raise his hand to her with a belt; not bad for a girl that was emotionally abandoned. No, not too shabby for anyone. Indeed.

When I see Lila, I see myself. She is the good, the strong, the stubborn, the bull headed, the self supporting. the know-it-all, sarcastic impatient, ambitious, scared Little Girl I am.

Now we both have to be bravein our own ways. Now we both have to grow up and face all of life. Now we both know we are not invincible. We have to let go and let God. And now again we have each other.
T.
- posted by Unknown @ 8:57 AM

 
What fun!

Yesterday, my friend Alex was given the priviledge of setting up a VIP night at the Intrepid Air & Space Museum in New York and invited our group and our family to come. This entire retired aircraft carrier-museum open for 30 or so of us to play.

Jack loved standing on the deck of this small section of the museum where he could turn a ships wheel and have the platform sway from side to side, just like on a boat.

We were pirates. I was Pirate Daddy and he was Captain Pirate Jack. He was in love with the experience . . . despite being frightenened by the Shrek billboards across the street from the museum. He fell asleep on the ride himoe and woke up this morning wanting to play with Daddy and wanting to have breakfast with Daddy and watching me leave for work.

What fun for me.
- posted by Unknown @ 8:57 AM