Never Forgotten
This page is my attempt to recognize a few people who have left us but whose impacts on my life are never forgotten. Regardless of your impressions of me, I am who I am because of some of these people (not to mention many who are still with us).
Wendy Lou Bibbs
I lost my mother, Wendy, to cancer on 06/18/2006 (Father's Day). It was a long, hard fought battle...one I hope nobody ever had to endure themselves nor watch someone else go through. My only word of advice for those that have a loved one fighting cancer is to balance your selfish desire with the pain and suffering that can be caused by fighting cancer. My only regret was not letting my mom know sooner than I did that it was OK to stop fighting and to enjoy the time she does have. One other note is that my mom's cancer may have been prevented. The rare form of cancer, leiomyosarcoma, started in her womb and my mother had neglected to see her OBGYN for over 8 years. So to women, please take care of yourself and see your OBGYN even after menopause.
There isn't much I can say about my mom that most of you couldn't say about your own mothers. She loved my sister and I. She treated my wife like her own daughter and was a great grandmother to our kids. At 54 I can't help but feel a bit of anger that she was taken away from us. It challenges the popular phrase "Life is tough but fair". She wasn't a perfect woman, had her issues with alcohol to the point she let it alienate herself from some truly great friends but she always knew how to have a good time and she knew love. We all loved my mom and we miss her so much that it hurts and it is the kind of hurt that never really goes away.
William Giles
Grandpa Bob left us less than a year before mom after his own short bout with cancer which was preceded by over a decade of dealing with a stroke. An aggressive reader who could devour 4 or 5 Tom Clancy-sized books per week was left not being able to read post-stroke. He appreciated a good cigar, the taste of the pipe, a quality sip of scotch or whiskey and being born in England he was living proof that chivalry wasn't dead.
He taught me the double-windsor, chess and despite my love of sports he insisted on reminding me there is more in life. His influence on me can be seen everyday and the influence he had on others is just as profound. He met everything to my grandmother, Evelyn, who is now charged with coping with the loss of both her husband and daughter within one year. Clearly another example that "Life is hard but fair" isn't always the truth.
Never Forgotten
I titled this page "Never Forgotten" and I wrote it for myself really as I take some solace from the fact that it will eventually be cataloged by Google and made available to a few people who might not have known them and might yet hear my account of how important they were to me. This is my chance to introduced loved ones who have gone before us and to whom I spill a sip of drink and savor the aroma of a good cigar for. I will continue to love them dearly.
Last Updated June 23, 2008|6,950 Hits 
