Thank You PVCC
11/15/01
Open
Letter to Paradise Valley Community College Faculty, Students
and Administration
Life is beginning to return to the new
normal, a normal without Cindy. As many of you well know, given
that you have probably lost someone close to you, this will be
quite an adjustment. It is an adjustment that must be
made and one that will be made easier because of the love
and care received by my family from all our friends and coworkers.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful, caring friendship and support.
I am quite sure that nearly every family
feels their recently deceased is quite special. In all cases
this is undoubtedly true, as every human life is a precious gift
from God. I will claim, however prejudiced I may be, that this
particular life, Cindy's life, was truly precious and very special.
Please know that my family and I have begun
to pray for those of you from the female persuasion. I am intimately
familiar with the fear cancer can be to the core of one's soul.
We are so close to a breast cancer cure and with diligent self-checking,
I know in my heart that none of you will face late stages of this
insidious disease.
Those of you from the male persuasion,
I have all the confidence in the world that your precious wives,
daughters, mothers will not encounter this disease. Your loving
reminders to check themselves are the strongest preventative medicine
in the world. Pester them mercilessly.
Five years ago, a very wise counselor at
the Arizona Cancer Center told Cindy and me that cancer never
leaves a relationship in stasis. This disease either strengthens
a relationship or weakens it. In our case, we chose the former.
I can think of nothing as humanly precious as the love between
a husband and his wife. There are times, through the pain that
I now experience, where I am thankful for what Cindy and I went
through together. The depth of our love was strengthened to a
point that I thought impossible. This is my hope for each of
you.
If you have a spouse, when you get home
this evening, tell them you love them. Commit yourself to them
anew. If you do not have a spouse, focus on your children, siblings,
parents or a dear friend. Where is it written one must endure
the bad to enjoy the good? Communicate your love. I wish I could
do so again…….
Kindest
regards,
Dan Shoenhair
|
