Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Do you want the Good News or the Bad News?

It has been one of those weeks. Firstly last week I received an email from an old friend in San Diego informing me that a mutual friend had been killed in a motor cycle accident. Very sudden obviously and therefore extremely shocking. He was only 58 and he leaves behind his wife and four children and their families....and a lot of friends.
Just as I was coming to terms with that news, I opened my email again this evening to find an email from one of my three younger brothers, this one J, is the middle brother. In the email he has given me a blow by blow account of how he has just been diagnosed with Hodkins Lymphoma! He went on to tell me that the prognosis is good and that there is a high survival and remission rate for this type of cancer. Still, I can't get my head round it. This is my little brother, the one that I fought with constantly as a teenager, the one who would never do his chores, who at the age of 3 jumped into the deep end of the local swimming pool on my watch!! Who was the bane of my years as the bossy older sister. I was just telling my fifteen year old the swimming pool story yesterday!
It is going to take a while for me to come to terms with this news.
On a very much happier note, my youngest brother, P, became a dad for the first time in his forty fifth year last week and yesterday he sent me photos of the proudest dad and the newest member of my family. And so life goes on.....

12 comments:

dND said...

Oh SITH that's some tough news along with the good.

Deaths, and unfortunately the older we get the more they will occur, are never easy. They also remind us of our own frailty.

It's good that the prognosis is good for your brother and that he has a good mental attitude towards it so I pray all will be well.

Congratulations to your youngest brother too.

Deborah x

softinthehead said...

Deborah - thanks for your kind thoughts.

Stinking Billy said...

Yep, life does go on, and it's nice to have you back. I had given up checking-in until I just saw your comment at mine. best wishes!

mrsnesbitt said...

OH DEAR, WE HAVE LOST BIKER FRIENDS TOO, ALWAYS THE NICEST OF GUYS TOO.

HUGS.

J said...

So sorry about the passing of your friend, and about your brother's diagnosis. It is true that treatments for lymphoma are advancing (it's my husband's specialty), but will keep him in my thoughts.

Congratulations on aunthood!

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

Life, that's exactly what you are living. I wish your brother well and good luck with your exams.

Georgina said...

SITH, so sorry about your bad news. It never comes in "ones" does it. Bon Courage Debs x

Maggie May said...

I am so sorry. You know that we have been bombarded with things like this during this year. I find that things come all together good and bad news.

Mean Mom said...

So sorry to hear about your friend. My eldest son bought a motorbike, a few months ago and my husband is desperate to ride one again, too. I think that they are death traps, to be honest.

Sorry about your brother's illness. He is obviously well-informed and stoical about it, however,and I hope that everything goes well for him!

A dad at 45? Good for him!

Carolyn said...

Oh no. I'm so sorry for your difficult news. First, of your friend's death and second, of your brother's diagnosis. It sounds like your brother has a good attitude (since he told you that the prognosis is good). Perhaps while you get your head around it, take his lead and focus on the positive. It sounds like he wants to and could probably use some help keeping his attitude upbeat.

As for the good news... congratulations to P! New additions always remind us of how beautiful life can be.

the rotten correspondent said...

Oh, I'm so sorry. That's a lot to swallow all at once. Why does it all seem to happen in cycles?

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Poor you, SITH, have been catching up with your life, and see that it has been pretty frantic one way and another. So sorry about your friend, and your brother, it's true "when sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions" Keep on trucking. M xx