He's My Brother... Ya Know....

One of Life's GOOD GUYS and a painful, agonizingly painful, end to that life. Why? Another mission to fulfill somewhere else? One of life's insufferable ironies? Part of "THE" Plan? I don't know..those who say they do, or may know will be utilizing a 'faith' I apparently do not possess. Pain is relative...think of a tooth-ache..a kidney stone... a stubbed-toe...cancer.. eating away rendering a body to become, slowly, inexorably, devoid of what? life itself as we normally define life? A month ago a family friend told his wife in the morning the intense, unremitting pain from the cancer he had been unsuccessfully fighting for months, and the accompanying bodily indignities he'd been suffering, from hospital, drugs and various other treatments, could no longer be tolerated, and this good guy, yes, another of life's good guys, who'd raised an adopted daughter, and had been for years, along with his wife, caring for the grandkids, went into his backyard and put a bullet in his head... my brother has not done that.. he has been attended by his local hospice people..those 'angels' on earth...and suffered his intense, never-ending painful demise, for over six months now...with the prayers first offered for his recovery now offered that he go quietly, peacefully and ...soon....What a terribly dark blog post this is.. yet how can it be otherwise? This guy, this my only brother, one of the nice people walking this earth, ends his 'walk' in horrific agony, his strong will and determination reduced to ..what..? and why? Does anyone really have the audacity , yes, a harsh word, the audacity, to offer any explanation other than the 'unfortunately, life, and it's end, can and does happen like this, even to someone we love, and who is so deserving of dignity, and joy and fulfillment?? '

One of my very favorite musical renditions by the Mormon Youth Chorus and Symphony contains this lyric:

"Because the smile upon your face

Has made this world a better place,

I put my heart into this prayer:

May God be with you Everywhere.
May you be blessed with love and health,

May you be blessed with friends and wealth,

But most of all may you be blessed

With time

To enjoy them "

But this good guy...my brother...was not...

Goodbye, Bob

.....