The Clock is Ticking...for ALL of Us

"There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday, the other is called tomorrow. Today is the right day to Love, believe, do and mostly Live." --Dalai Lama XIV

My cousin has terminal brain cancer and his time on this Earth is getting small. As those closest to him care for him and watch his moments slip away, I feel trapped inside a helpless box, searching for something to share with all of them that might ease their pain, lessen their grief. I have nothing adequate to give except my unwavering love and the ability to share my own happy memories of a man who is fading.

He is a quiet man, with a brilliant mind and a gentle spirit. He is also ridiculously gifted in Mathematics, and tried his best on one of his visits to North Carolina, to assist 'little me" at understanding various Math concepts. He was a patient teacher, which is saying something because I know I was a pain in the BUTT to try and teach because I got frustrated and/or distracted easily (which I probably grew out of--a little--sometimes)! When I was growing up, he and his family visited our house in North Carolina several times, in part because Aunt Mattie also helped to raise his Mom the same way she raised me. He and his younger brother trounced through the woods with me, exploring, helped me build a fort in the loft of our old barn and played board games with me for hours. They also never got annoyed with me and my incessant "Why?" questions about everything (I didn't grow out of always asking why, but I try very hard to be less annoying about it now that I'm all grow'd up). Both of them were also very adept at making me laugh, a golden gift for a broken child that I am sure neither of them was aware they were giving me. His love of the stars and the night sky is what initially got me interested in Astronomy and sparked my own passion for all things celestial.

celestial--adj. 1. heavenly; divine; spiritual. 2. of or relating to the sky.

This word gives me pause, as it is a perfect choice for how I remember him from my childhood and how I think of him now as he nears stepping from this plane of existence to the next. He was a divine gift to a little girl living in a world filled with monsters. He pointed me to the sky, so that I could see that there was far more to the Universe than my troubles. If I could stand next to him now, I'd put my hands on his warm, kind, handsome face and tell him---"I hope you find peace where you are going, joy as you take on your next adventure, and comfort in knowing just how much love for you so many people feel. You leave behind many blessings in the lives of all whom you have touched." And then, I'd lean close and give his nose a noisy, wet smooch!

Dedicated to David, Scott, and Yvette, whom I love without measure and am honored to call family.

*Image from www.innovatoys.com.

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