Superman Lost His Fight

I can't help but be incredibly sad. Pretty much crushed. My hero, my mentor, my friend lost his battle yesterday. Incredibly sad. I feel so empty inside. Like a part of me is instantly missing. My Superman, he lost his fight.

He battled cancer for years. He had battled his health, his entire life. But he never gave up. Never said it was too much. And when I began my fight with "The Big C," it was my dear friend that encouraged my own fight.

I met him as a young child. Quickly he became one of my parent's best friends. And my mentor. Someone who had accomplished so much in his lifetime. He came from a small town. He went to college, and became a teacher. Never giving up on his own education, he earned his PhD. A truly amazing man.

My friend was also a family man. A father of 2. Was married for the second time. Completely in love with his wife. He loved his grandchildren. And his stepchildren. He was devoted to his family. And that, I learned. Family always comes first. He taught me that.

He was also a devoted man. To the church. He loved his God. As I love God. Church made him happy. He enjoyed religion. He enjoyed everything about the church. And that, we shared. We'd talk about church. I'd send him various religious articles, symbols, and cards. We have a love for our Lord, that is an unbroken bond. A forever love.

My dear friend was my hero. My Superman. He taught me that nothing is ever out of reach. With plenty of hard work and persistence, you can get there. You can accomplish all of your goals. It just takes hard work. He had a dream to own a home, near the mountains. One of those expensive ones. About 10 years ago, he accomplished that. I remember the first time I visited. And we sat looking at the mountains and the stars. He also held an important job. One that took his entire career to get to. But one that he was so proud of.

He wasn't just a casual meeting. A chance friend. Someone that passes through your life. My friend had a HUGE impact on my life. He changed the direction I would take. The way I look at life. Even the man, that I allowed myself to fall in love with. Yes, my friend encouraged me to love My Guy. He knew it was important to have a life partner.

As incredibly sad as I am, I'm grateful. This amazing man was in my life. For 20 years. He changed me. He taught me. He allowed me to grow. He made my life better. And he taught me how to live. I'll never forget those things. Ever! Because that's how special he was.

My friend will always have a HUGE place in my heart. Thinking about him, brings a smile to my face. Those familiar hugs, I will miss them. I'll miss talking about life. His encouraging words. And his kind heart.

As hard as my own battle with "The Big C" has been, I will never give up. I've learned that from this man. To never give up. You never know what God has planned for you. Or what lies in your future.

On this day. The day when my heart is heavy with grief, I pray. I pray that my friend no longer has to suffer. That he gets to dance with the angels. Eat all the yummy food his heart desires. That he longer has to feel the pain that he lived with. And that my dear Lord has opened the Gates of Heaven to him. ♥