Thursday, June 29, 2006

Turn the page...

On Monday, my father-in-law lost his battle with small cell lung cancer. He fought the good fight but succombed at ~ 1:21 AM. I was with him when he left. While it was not unexpected as he had been in hospice care for several weeks, it is never an easy thing to accept.

Sam was a great man who was very caring and compassionate. Seeing him die slowly was difficult for me as the man in that bed was not the man that I choose to remember him as. He was a strong and vibrant man that had an opinion about almost everything and would not hesitate to tell you what it was. There were several occasions that we did not agree and argued about the subject. Sam would never apologize for anything but you knew he was over any disagreement when he began talking again. You always knew where you stood.

This week has been difficult for Miyo and her mom. There is some relief that Sam is on to a better place but uncertainty about the future. Sayoko has never lived on her own and does not drive. While she has friends and Miyo and me to depend on, this is a new chapter and a new beginning for her. I know that she'll succeed but worry for her, nonetheless.

The future is full of surprises for her and she'll shine through it all.