I answered a knock at the door a few moments ago, as a matter of fact my husband beat me to it. In his happy go lucky way he embrased our friend, a baseball mom of a fine family. She stopped by to deliver a check for what else, baseball. As we all had a nice hug in the foyer, I inquired about her husband who had recently been laid up with a bad back. We were joking about him answering e-mails about baseball from the hospital on his Blackberry. When I asked, how is Kenneth? there was a long pause, the kind of pause that when witnessed sends a dagger through your heart and sucks the air from your lungs. Kenneth she said, has cancer and in a bad way, a very bad way. The journey they are beginning could of course have many outcomes, but right now things do not look good.
My husband and I were stunned, and speechless as a routine delivery of a baseball check turned into three adults staring at eachother with no words forthcoming that could possibly lend any comfort.
There were no tears however, because Kenneth will do whatever he can to survive and until his last breath, he will be a Father, husband, and friend of the highest regard. He has been involved in his three son's lives the most a father can, while performing at the highest level of his profession, been a loving and supportive husband, and to many, many in our community a rock of a friend. He has given coutless hours as a volunteer in our community. No tears for Kenneth now, he does not want tears from us, he wants to continue his life as normal of course. He had his wife running from radiology, to pharmacy, to discharge, just so he could make his son's baseball game.
Kenneth has been a very good friend to me over the 14 years I have known him. No, we don't socialize a lot, nor do our kids even cross paths much, but he is a man that I, we, my family could count on for anything. And vice versa.
There were times when he was coaching my son's team in little league many moons ago, and I admit I really felt he gave his son more playing time over two other kids (not mine) that I felt were better.
But, now I am feeling like those things happen for a reason far beyond the moment. Perhaps he was given that slice of time with his son, because his time was to be cut short.
I could go on about my friend Kenneth, but I won't, I simply ask you to pray for him. For the power of the hsbbweb prayers to lengthen his life as long as his physical body will allow. Keep him in your prayers and please ask all you know to pray for him.
God knows Kenneth, for sure - how could he not?
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