I'm sitting here, and I'm wiping tears from my eyes as I type. I just finished reading a blog written by a woman named Carol. You see her mother had just died after a long bout with cancer. Her daily thoughts on her mother and the life of being a caregiver of someone with cancer is quite poignant as most of us will be and have been in such a position. My own mother died of cancer a couple years ago. The burden on my father who took care of her was great. For a couple years after the diagnosis she was able to live as she wanted and really savored life. She was lucky that successful treatment bought her those couple years. Many upon hearing they have cancer can count their remaining time in weeks and months. I felt quite helpless through much of the time, as I live in Florida, and my parents live in Michigan. When treatments stopped being effective and her health started to decline rapidly, I made that last trip to Michigan to see her.. I wrote her a letter expressing the love and gratitude I had for her. Thanks for all the times she waited in the stands as I had swim practice, or for the few dollars she slipped me when i visited from college. So much, so many moments. Then it was time for me to make my flight back to Florida. I cant describe the sorrow I felt as I kissed my mother for the last time, let go of her hand, and walked out the door.. I received the call from my Dad a few days later... she was gone. Sometimes we need to step back from the pettiness of the world, and take stock of what is truly meaningful..