This past week my uncle's twelve year battle with cancer was concluding.  He passed away on Wednesday evening with lots of family surrounding with love and prays.  From children, parents and a wife, to brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces there he had plenty of support while he made his final journey from this world to the next.

My uncle is 54 years old and number four in a line of eleven siblings.  At Thanksgiving he began not feeling well;  by Christmas he could hardly "hang out" with everyone.  He spent New Years at the Mayo Clinic but was sent home because he was doing "better" this past Monday.  Spent Tuesday at the doctors because of a slight fever; Wednesday morning joked around with is daughter and by Wednesday he was no longer with us. 

While it was a very sad and exhuasting week and weekend from the visitation/wake, the funeral, lots of driving and family, it always amazes me how supportive and caring of a family I have.  While we all have our own very busy lives with jobs, friends, houses, kids, vacations, etc. I am always over whelmed by how quickly every one is able and willing to drop their own lives to be there with a mournful cousin, weeping spouse, or distort parents.

I guess I'm saying, I'm grateful for my family and could not imagine having any other one.  So go hug you mom or dad, call you sister or brother, send that email to the aunt or uncle you haven't talked in a while, write a letter to you Grandma (because she's the only one you know who still sends snail mail) and just let them know you are thinking of them and that you love them.  Our time on this earth is limited, more so for some then others, and we all should take advantage of what time we do have.

Ashley