My dad died Sunday.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

43. Wow. Sorry you've had so much difficulty. I think I know something of your worries

about health, especially about cancer. Some days I'm overwhelmed with the conviction that my body is just a super-incubator for all manner of disease ready to explode at any moment.

After my father's pancreatic cancer diagnosis, my husband Kenny’s brother, Jim, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. And soon after, my mother’s only sister died unexpectedly.

After my father died in October, on December 26th, my brother, died in a tragic accident, falling to his death, witnessed by his two young adult sons.

The following Spring, my dear, sweet husband was diagnosed with a highly aggressive case of prostate cancer. He has had surgery, radiation, and is now enduring multitrack ADT.

This February, one of my mom's two surviving brothers died (the third brother, my young uncle, died at age 14 bone cancer. I was 12--Mom was very Young when she had me soon after her own mom had a late-in-life baby boy), and my best friend's sister, age 55, dropped dead of a stroke.

I'm more stressed than I have ever been in my entire life, and I was never exactly zen-like. People say take things one day at a time. Around here, all we can manage is one minute at a time.

Trying to wind this up somewhat gracefully, but to no avail. It's after 9 a.m. and I haven't slept yet, so please excuse my self-centered reply and abrupt departure...