From an e-mail Dad sent to a friend whose husband was recently 
diagnosed with cancer.  Sent a couple days before he died.

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Let me tell you a story.  In my career I have been through four
major job transfers to distant cities.  Each time, I went ahead to
the new job while Carol stayed back with our children.  During the
time apart I would spend time finding a new place that would become
home for us.  Finally, after a couple of months, Carol would join me
to make a new home with our family.  Each time our life would
continue -- better than before in a bigger home in a better
neighborhood.

Although each relocation was painful at the time, each turned out to
be a good thing for all in our family.  For example, after one of
these moves our oldest daughter found a boy just down the street
that eventually became her husband.  They have been married 25 years
now and have three wonderful sons.  Our oldest son found his wife in
the same way also.  They have a great marriage of 20 years.  Our
other children (we have eight) benefited from each of the
relocations as well.

It's likely that I will die from the BAC -- perhaps in the next few
months, perhaps later.  It will be like another job transfer.  I
will go ahead and find a new home for Carol and me.  She will join
me when she's ready, and our children and grandchildren will trickle
on over to join us years later.

Our new home will be much better than our old one, and we will be
together in much happiness and joy.  This is the vision that Carol
and I have for our future.  We know that the Lord will provide for
us, and that our true home is with Him.

This vision of our future is helpful to us as we face the separation
of death.  I hope you can derive some comfort from it as well.

Love,
Gene