DAY BY DAY

"What's at the Patton Museum?" "Tanks." "You're welcome." That little joke is one that was always funny and special with my nephew and I. He's 4 years younger than me so he really was more like a brother to me. We played with trucks and cars as kids. We swam together. We were like peas and carrots.

Now he's grown and has a family. I posted some pictures of my grand nieces and my nephew on my photoblog, located HERE.

Some of you might know from a previous post on my other journal that he had been diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes. He had a place under his eye where they found it. They thought that was the only place. I called my brother and sister-in-law to wish them Happy New Year on Saturday evening. My sister-in-law answered the phone. Immediately I knew something was wrong, so I asked. They found the cancer in other parts of his body. Now instead of minor radiation, he's looking at major radiation and probably chemotherapy. It's like my father's bout with cancer, all over again, except a different type. Ever since hearing this bit of news, I have been in an even more somber mood. I didn't feel like writing, I didn't feel like talking, and I didn't really feel like anything at all.

As I mentioned in my last post on my other blog, this past weekend has been a lesson in acceptance. I have to accept that there isn't anything I can do about my nephew's condition. He's in the best possible care he can be in. Also at this time when I've had my own problems I was dealing with and I was needing attention for myself, I have to now be available to give attention to those who need it more than I do. That's all I can really do is BE there for him and the rest of the family.

There is one good thing. It's very small, but significant to me. My mother has never really liked my brother's wife and there was outright hostility between them at times. Because of this, my mother has actually extended the olive branch to my sister-in-law and is trying to put the feud behind them. She knows this is important to me. I hope it lasts.

As for my title to this post, it's the name on my brother's cabin cruiser boat. I also feel that right now that is the way I have to take this and other things that have been going on; day by day.