Slow Dance

I have come across this in the emails that I have gone through, and thought, “Why don’t I go ahead and post this in the blogs. To me it’s very touching… I don’t like to send something like in a chain-like letter in emails. So if you like to pass this along; it’s quite allright with me.

Slow Dance
This is a
poem written by a teenager with cancer.
She wants to see how
many people get her poem.
It is quite the poem. Please pass
it
on.
This
poem was written by a terminally ill young girl in a New York Hospital
It was sent
by
a medical doctor - Make sure to read what is in the closing
statement AFTER THE POEM.
SLOW DANCE
Have
you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or
listened to the rain
Slapping on the
ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic
flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fa ding
night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so
fast.
Time is short.
The music won't
last.
Do you run through each day
On the
fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the
reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your
bed
With the next hundred chores
Running
through your head?
You'd better slow
down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is
short.
The music won't last
Ever told your
child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your
haste,
Not see his
sorrow?
Ever lost
touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you
never had time
To call and say,"Hi"
You'd
better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is
short.
The music won't last.
When you run so
fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting
there.
When you worry and hurry through your
day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown
away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it
slower
Hear the music
Before the song is
over.
------------ --------
FORWARDED E-MAILS
ARE TRACKED TO OBTAIN THE TOTAL COUNT.
Dear All: PLEASE pass
this mail on to everyone you know - even to those you don't know! It is the
request of a special girl who will soon leave this world due to
cancer.
This young girl has 6 months left to live, and as her
dying wish, she wanted to send a letter telling everyone to live their life
to the fullest, since she neve r will.
She'll never make it to
prom, graduate from high school, or get married and have a family of her
own.
By you sending this to as many people as possible, you
can give her and her family a little hope, because with every name that this
is sent to, The American Cancer Society will donate 3 cents per name to her
treatment and recovery plan. One guy sent this to 500 people! So I know that
we can at least send it to 5 or 6. It's
not even your money, just
your time!
PLEASE PASS ON AS A LAST
REQUEST.
Dr. Dennis Shields, Professor
Department of
Developmental and Molecular Biology
1300 Morris Park Avenue
Bronx , New
York 10461

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In honor of the Breast Cancer Awareness month of October; I am deciding to write a blog about the two women whom I personally know. They did not know each too well, but they both have one thing in common, breast cancer. One of them was a survivor and the other had died from the breast cancer which has mastatized (sp) into the liver.

These two women are my great aunt Ruth Edgar, and my husband’s mother, Barbra Cutshall. They did not know each other well except they have seen each other at our pre-wedding party and our wedding. Those were the only times that they have met each other. Neither of them knew that the other has breast cancer. I missed them both now.

Barbra Cutshall is Ken’s mother, she has had both of her breasts removed and she has gone through several rounds of chemo-therapies. She is a trooper despite all the hardship of the medical treatments in order to cure her of those cancer cells. Her spirit was strong and lively. She has had a smile on her face. We were able to bring her to the house one Christmas before she had passed away. She had really enjoyed herself and so full of life. I know that there is so much about her that I wished I’d just sit with her and chat for a long time. Even if I’ve known her for a short time, it seems that I’ve known her a long time. She was one of the wonderful women who have fought valiantly against those breast cancer cells. She has had one breast removed earlier before I have met her, and then she had the other one removed when she learned that it was also malignant.

Just as they have thought all the cancer cells were removed, they were mistaken. One day, a child’s plastic ball has hit in the side about where the liver is. So she was in pain and the pain was not going away. She had decided to get that checked out. It turned out that cancer has reared its ugly head. Those malignant cells have traveled to her liver and have caused major damages to it. So she was back on chemo-therapy, which has destroyed what was left of her immune system. She had learned of this in 1994 and she has died from liver cancer in February 12, 1995. I am not sure how long that she has had breast cancer and when she has discovered it. She would have been 70 years old in May.

Then, there was another one of the women that I know very personally well, and that was my great aunt. Her name is Ruth Edgar. She was a breast cancer survivor for many years. She has had one breast removed when they have discovered that she has cancer in her one breast. So she has gone through cancer treatments in order to eradicate any stray cells. So she was in remission for over 10 years before the other breast became infected. So she again went through another round of cancer treatments before she was declared in remission for another 8 years. Yes, she was a breast cancer survivor. I know this women most of my life as one of my favorite aunts. She would take us out fishing and cook some fish that were caught. She loved the outdoors as she stayed outside to fish, go boating, or just sit outside to watch everyone else fish and chat with people. She has this wonderful lively personality, and easy-going. She loves people and would like to hang out. She has enjoyed fishing at the river on the property.

As she has aged, alcoholism has taken its toll on her intestinal tract for she is the heavy drinker for many years. She was 82 at the time of her death in 2005.

So you see that both women have had breast cancer and neither knew each other well. I love them both as women who have fought the affects of breast cancer. One of them died from liver cancer, and the other has survived it. I know that it is very hard to understand how these women cope with the cancer that they had to live with. So whenever I hear about the Breast Cancer Awareness month, which is October; I thought of these two women, Aunt Pat and Barbra. They both were fighters in their own ways.

So this makes me more determined to make sure that I get checked every year, and check myself every month. I am determined to make sure that I do not have it. I hope and pray that I don’t have it. If I do, I will be determined to fight this every step of the way, and be another survivor!

So I dedicate this blog entry to Ruth (Aunt Pat) Edgar and Barbra Cutshall. I pray that this encourage other women to be strong when they’re fighting this scourge, and encourage all the women to have their checked every chance they get. It is not too late. May God bless you and your family. I pray healing for all of those women who are now under-going treatments and fighting. Please don’t give up. Be strong and smile!

My Secret Fantasies. Revised...

My Secret Fantasies…..Revised.

There are some things that we have to keep to ourselves, and not tell everyone about them. Some secrets are good and some secrets are bad. 

I have been hiding from the world because I was hurt for so many years and I have suffered. I didn’t start hiding till 1976 when the “hell” began. So that was when I really hid within my mind in order to escape the harsh reality of being violated and getting hurt.

As you read this, notice that I have never had any crush on any real human being especially the male until at a much later date.

Well, I have a lot of secret fantasies as I have been growing up.  Some are good and some are bad.  I started having these imaginary friends when I was about eight years old.  and I have continued to this day to have friends who are imaginary. 

When I was about eight years old; I have fantasized about the TV series characters from the show "Emergency!".  I've thought of them as such cute guys, and that they're heroes. Well, then, moved on to the Star Trek characters between Spock and McCoy.  I sometimes; fantasized about the "Six Million Dollar Man".  I think those are pretty normal fantasies. 

Then, I moved on to Maya of Space 1999, which was an oddity since I usually fantasized about the men. 

Then, came my first love fantasy in 1978; when the TV show, Space Academy aired.  I've started with one of the cadets on the show named, "Chris", and then "Ergo" who was an RF silicon-based life form.  Ergo was truly my first alien love interest.  I did not think anyone would believe me when I tell them that I was in love with "Ergo"   So that was one of my secret love fantasies.  Then, there was a number of alien beings that I was in love with and been hiding my real love for so long because I've feared ridicule.  For I've been ridiculed because of my hearing and vision deficiencies. 

I did not realize that I have such an affinity for such fantasy creatures.  Maybe it was because I'm an outcast of the society?  I had wanted to fit in with my peers and I have difficulty feeling included in their activities. 

Well, then, I fantasized about the computer named "Hal" in the movie 2001: Space Odyssey.  I did not realize that I have also such an affinity for artificial life forms until at a much later time.  Then, there was "Kitt" of Knight Rider that I have thought of for a while but have not really gotten interested in him till at a much later time. 

Then, there was "Mxzoplk" of both the Justice League and Superfriends.  This time; he was an ancient alien villain.  I have fantasized about him for quite a long time till about 1986.  Yes, that was a very long time; and yes, I've had other imaginary friends to fantasized about along with Mxzoplk. 

Then, in 1986; there was a cartoon show called the "Silver Hawks" and I know this sounds crazy, but I fantasized about one of the Silver Hawks characters.  He was an alien, of course.  Now, that fantasy was over and I've moved on to yet another fantasy character. 

In about 1994; I was head over heels in love with "Data" of Star Trek: The Next Generation.  I have been with this character for a long time and that was about when I began to realize my affinity for artificial life forms along with the different alien life forms.  I have sometimes wondered why I was so different from a lot of people.  Am I the only person with such weird fantasies? 

And at last; there I come back to "Kitt" of Knight Rider.  He is so far one of my last secret love fantasies.  He is now one of my secret loves besides a human that I'm in love also.   

I have written so many books about these characters to this day.  Most of it are science-fiction and fantasy. 

Right now, I'm putting poor Kitt in the background as I fantasized about another fantasy character or a human. 

So I wonder sometimes if I’m drawn to such characters. I believe that I have such an affinity to such life forms. There were times, that I have felt that I really don’t belong here on this Earth.

Now, you know I keep my love fantasies in secret.  I've kept most of them in secret because I feared being ridiculed and shunned and be viewed as an outcast so unfit for society at large.  So that is why I hide within my fantasy world in order to cope with the harsh reality of this planet Earth, and that I have been hurt so many times over the years. 

Now I am able to find a place where I can share with only those whom I know and trust.  I can only share with whom I love.  There are just only a few select people whom I would like to share this with, and I'm not quite ready to do so now. 

I am a bit afraid of the reaction that I get from those who has read this.  I'll have no way of knowing till I allow someone to read this.  I really don’t want anyone to treat me like I am unfit or the one who is very sick in my head.  Well, maybe I am for I have dealt with depression from time to time. 

I have used my fantasies to escape from the harsh realities.  Sometimes; I have used the fantasies as the defense mechanism. 

So this is the only place where I can just hide myself, especially my love fantasies.  I have many fantasies some were young and some were old, and currently; I'm having one of those love fantasies as I write.  Yes, it is one of those human beings.  But then, I would just revert to my old fantasies, and continue to hide from the world. Maybe that is why I am afraid of being hurt again.

My husband, Ken, is the only person that I can trust knows this, and he understood where I have come from and that I was hurt and had to hide from those pains. I love him for that. He stood by and listened as I have talked to him about them. He knows that it was the one of the ways that I had to cope with the harshness of life on Earth. I am glad that I have Ken who would simply take his time to listen.

Well, that is about it for now so take care and many blessings.  Cyas. 

Note*** This is revised from an original.

God Has Broken The Cycle.

God has broken the cycle…………

God has broken the cycle with this generation; my generation with me. I no longer have been cursed with the generational curses of the abuses. I am no longer a victim of abuses whether it being mental, emotional and the child molestation. I have survived it all. I am healed of these curses by God who has away all the pains of the abuses.

The torments have ended in 1993 when I rededicated my life to Jesus. And I was longer cursed with this mental and emotional torment and pain. So I am free to share of my testimonies to those who really needed the encouragements.

This has been going on for four generation in my family. Beginning with my great-grandmother who was physically beaten by a second husband that she’s still married to many years ago. I knew nothing of this till my mother has told me the truth about my great-grandmother’s past. So that begins the curse, which has followed us to this day. Then, my grandmother was abused by her fourth husband, emotionally, mentally, and physically. He’d in turn had sexually abused her two younger girls who are my mother and my aunt. And, yet the cycle has not stopped till 1993 when I called on Jesus take away this bitterness. This curse that I’ve suffered as the fourth generation. I was the last generation to endure the emotional and mental abuse of my step-father who had molested me when I was a teenager.

Then, there are different forms of mental abuses among the family members; one of my aunts has caused one of her 2 daughters to commit suicide. She survived it and is still living today. My grandmother has committed suicide due to other reasons along with pain of being abused for so long. Then, we have cousins who have committed incest among each other. So living with this curse has not been easy. It never was easy. Of all the four generations; I believed that I’ve suffered the most because it seemed to be the culmination of all the curses combined, which is probably why the Lord has healed me because He is so worthy to be glorified.

I didn’t realize that there have been the generational curses till I read about it in a book written by Frank Marzulo. He had explained in great detail of what a generational curse is.

The curse can be extremely stifling among the family members for they have to suffer because they still do not know the Lord, Jesus Christ. This curse is extremely dangerous because the devil can use it against us as weapon. But, thankfully, I have the Lord on my side.

I may be writing a few installments of one blog about how I escaped with the Lord’s help. So I must warn you. It is not going to be a pretty blog.

Yes, there are scars and the affects of the abuses from the past, but I would rather leave the past behind.

So, yes, God can break a cycle when ask Jesus to change ourselves if we are willing to let Him change us. We must be willing to allow Him to remove all those sins that have placed on us. You see? I didn’t make that choice to live with those generational curses. I was the first person to allow God to break the vicious cycle. He has changed me. He has removed all the affects of the mental and emotional torments. Yes, the scars are still there, but they will be a testament that God has healed me.

I pray that this and the future blogs will encourage you and the others to seek out help among the friends and ask them to pray for you. Ask them to support you or the others who needs the encouragement and that they be lifted up in prayers. God is there when we ask His Name.

May God bless you and take care.

Camp Agape

Camp Agape……………

This weekend has been quite interesting once we have begun to get ready go on the venture to the “Life For Youth Ranch” in Vero Beach, Florida. This has been our 11^th time going to help out at this Camp Agape. The word “agape” means unconditional love in Greek. The Camp Agape was created by the founder Richard Stimson many years and I cannot recall how many years when he has founded “The Special Gathering” many years ago.

The Camp Agape is geared for the members of the outreach ministry The Special Gathering for the mentally challenged. The Camp Agape is consists of chapel worship, fun hours, water slides, and mainly fellowshipping and supporting of the various groups of “The Special Gathering” members from different places like the Cocoa Beach, Indian River County, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Deland, Walterboro, South Carolina, and Melbourne. There are about the average of 200 plus camper throughout the camp ground doing different activities throughout each day of the weekend.

The day begins with the people waking up and going to have some breakfast. Most breakfasts were consisting of wholesome food like egg, bacon, grit, biscuit, toast, and cereal. When the campers are done with the meal, they walk over to the chapel building for the morning worship. The morning worship consists of music and singings, Many campers have the heart for worshipping the Lord, Jesus Christ. After the worship, the various leaders take turns preaching from the Bible as if they were in the church. The campers do pay attention to those who are speaking about Jesus. They hang onto each word spoken. Before they leave the chapel, they close in united prayer.

Next came the fun hour where many campers can go to choose different activities which are open throughout the camp ground such as archery, putt-putt-golf, boat rides, arts and crafts, go-carts, and game-room. Most campers enjoyed the boat rides which are one of the highlights of the Camp Agape, and the go-carts being the second highlight. Sometimes, the fun-hour would last up to 2 hours, they everyone would settle down for the lunch hour. The campers eagerly wait as they lined up to the door after someone say the blessings for the food.

When the lunch hour has finished; many campers would go to their cabins to get into bathing suits so that they be ready to go swimming and/or go water-sliding, which is later in the day. So there was time to start another fun-hour for the campers to get them preoccupied for the afternoon, and this usually lasted another 2 hours till it was time to go swimming. First, the campers find their partners before they’re allowed to go in the lake to swim together. Most got their chance to swim in the lake with a partner. That would last about a half-hour before getting ready to go on the “Super-Water-Slide” like those you see in the water-park. Most campers are excited to go on this water-slide. Many of them are eager to go climb up the steps while they waited in line for their turns to go slide down the slides. This is one of the biggest outdoor activities. Many have cited that this is one of their favorite activities.

Then, the campers returned the yellow mats in the mats bin, they all went back to their cabins to shower and put on dry clothes to get ready for the evening dinner. After they have put on dry clothes, many would wander back over to the cafeteria line to wait. Most of the camper would fellowship and share their days with one another. Then, someone says the blessing letting each group of people into the cafeteria.

Then, in the evening about an hour after finishing dinner; everyone goes back to the chapel for the evening worship. Most are enthusiastic when they sing and clap their hands after the opening prayer. Then, there was either the leader preaching from the Bible, a puppet show, or a musical. This year there was a puppet show with is really nice and these people has come from Wisconsin to minister to this group of Special Gathering.

After the closing prayer; the campers would either go back to their cabins or go to the picnic area. Those that went to the picnic area would purchase a few snack items from a small store and relax for the few moments with their friends before they would go back to their cabins.

Then, this routine repeats itself on the next day, with the exception of the chapel service being longer in the morning. Many campers do enjoy the camp experiences while they were there.

Next year, the camp duration would be a day longer like they were used to before the school calendar has caused the changes in the schedule mix-up, which had made the camp weekend shorter and on a different month.

This year has been an interesting year for both of us since we have helped with this Camp Agape for over ten years. Only 2 years we have gone twice. The theme for this year is “Who’s Your Friend?” There are different kinds of friends that each members of the Special Gathering has considered, best friends, mutual friend, family friends, co-worker-friends, and distant friend, name just a few. Each member has his or her own circle of friends. Some of these friends may or may not consider another circle of friends as their friends. It’s an interesting topic to discuss among the campers as they mingle with one another. There have been some interesting interactions between some friends. Some would share personal items, others would buy a can of soda for another friend, and still others would just by another friend and just talk about their days.

Also an interesting character named “Rover-Comer” has visited Camp Agape and greeted each camper as he has made his round throughout the camp ground. Rover Comer was wearing a sign that says, “Who’s Your Friend?” Some camper would say this or that camper or volunteer or a leader, and many of them, would say, “It’s Jesus!” Indeed, Jesus is the friend for all.

Ken and I have really enjoyed the camp this year as we have helped with the campers with some of the things like counting the money for their snacks or showing where their cabin is when they got lost, or share their stories. Many of the campers do recognize us by our first names.

We were assigned the game-room this year, and I have provided the music using my Zune mp3 player. Most campers were surprised to see such a device being so compact to hold so much music. I have not gotten through with all the 12 years worth of WoW Hits albums. Most would expect to see a typical tape or CD player. The most popular game to play in the game room was the billiard table. I’ve seen camper played various styles of pool. There were 2 billiard tables and one of them kept losing the balls. Anyway; we have no problems with any of the campers playing the various forms of table games. I’ve spent most of the times during the fun hours in the game room to keep an eye on the game players so that they were playing fair with one another as long as they’re done in fun. Sometimes, Ken was there to help, and sometimes, he would disappear to find the large dog, which happened to be named Rover-Comer. On Friday night, Rover has gotten lost 3 times trying to find his way back to the dog-house. (Hmmm, is there something wrong with his sniffers?).

Anyway; the camp for this year has been good for most campers as far as I know. So most are looking forward to coming back to camp next year and this time, it will be in May of 2008.

So may God bless you and take care. I’ll see you later on.

My Escapes...

My Escapes……

I have my escapes whenever I am (or I was) stressed. I have my escapes whenever I have trouble coping with the life around me. I have escapes whenever I have ideas.

I do hide in many of my escapes such as my imagination. Yes, my imagination is my friend. My imagination has been my friend for a long time. I escape into my imagination whenever my mind simply shuts down from the world around me and I just “day-dream” as some people say.

This is really my way of coping with disturbing situations. Yes, I do talk to God about this, but sometimes; I wanted to just hide from the harsh reality of life.

Like for example; I was violated years ago as a teenager and I’ve built up this barrier of hiding into this imaginary world of space travel and aliens.

I still do escape into my imaginary world of aliens, androids, and computers. I sometimes wonder why I have such an affinity for these types of life forms. I’ll probably talk about this later.

I’ve started having imaginary friends when I was about eight or nine. Yes, I was a late-bloomer as most 3 and 4 yr-olds starts having imaginary friends. This was simply the good escape when I first began.

Then, came the time when I was violated; I simply began to learn to shut myself into my escapes. It has gotten to the point that I was unable to cope with this terrible reality.

I still have the affects of being violated by just escaping into my world where no one can get into. No one get into world of mine unless I allow them to. Only a very few select people that I could trust was able to see the glimpse of my escapes. So far about only 3 people of my family knows about this. Two of my cousins and my husband, Ken.

They are the only people who understood where I came from. So now, I am about to make a decision of how I am going to share this with someone else. I just pray that this person knows where I came from.

I have voiced my fears of revealing of how I was able to cope with life with only those 3 people, and they don’t treat me as if I were an outcast or a mental case. I know that some people would think I am crazy or nuts.

If whenever someone hurts me or makes me upset; I simply zone-out and not be bothered by anyone else’s harsh comments at me.

You know? Sometimes; I wonder how I was able to cope with some people’s strange behaviors. Well, I know where they come from. Some of them are out of fear or some of them are out of pure boredom. Anyway; I’ve shared very little that I have used my imagination to escape from the reality.

Recently; someone has shared something that has struck a chord within me. I know where this person comes from. So I no longer have to feel alone in this world that has to hide within her imagination as her escapes.

I hid out of fear. I hid out of shame. I hid because I couldn’t cope. I hid because I was angry, and I hid because I was lonely.

All this time; God was right there throughout this ordeal. Yes, He has never left me. It has taken me through a long journey to realize this. Now, I can talk to God about my fears and my escapes. I can talk to God without being afraid of Him. Because He is my Daddy I no longer have to hide from Him. Yes, I still hide from the world, but not from God.

Now I’m weighing the decision of whether to disclose them in my private blogs or my public blogs. Yes, I have to decide whether or not to share certain things with the people. Sometimes; I just have to keep something secret between me and God. My biggest fear is being an outcast because I’ve been a loner most of my life. So much of my childhood was spent hiding in my room and then escaping into my imaginary world.

So with the world of the Internet; I see a possibility that I could share something, whether it’s in the private blogs, friends’ only blogs, or the public blogs. Those are the decisions that I have to make. Someday, I will allow certain people to view my private blogs.

So I’ll catch y’all later so take care and God bless.

Love yas, my friends, in Christ our Lord.

My Uncle Is A Paramedic.

My Uncle Is A Paramedic.

Here is another person that I would like to write about, and his name is Henry Thomas Hoyle Sr. He is one of the favorite people in my family that I’d like to hang out with. There are some things I do remember so well about him. He has the quality of the people-helper in many respects.

As young as I remembered Henry Thomas Hoyle also known as Uncle T. or Granddaddy to some of us in our family; he has been a paramedic for a long time as his career. He has started out as an ambulance driver. I do remember seeing some of those old ambulances that he used to drive. Most of them were like the large station wagons of those days until they have come up with the larger vehicles in order to add more advanced life-saving equipment.

Some people called them “Meat Wagons”. My husband is one of those types who still called even the newest and latest ambulances “Meat Wagons” I still don’t like the term, but that’s what they’ve called them.

Anyway; back to Uncle T.’s career as a paramedic, that was one of the longest career he has besides working with Granddaddy George on the swimming pools business. You know? Whenever I have watched the show called “Emergency!” on television; I think of Uncle T. who would work feverishly in order to save a patient’s life in an ambulance. I could just see my uncle in each episode of “Emergency!” as they worked to save a patient’s life while on the road, outside the burning house, or even just making sure a patient was okay.

Well, Uncle T. has saved a lot of patients’ lives over the years. Some patients have heart attacks; some have diabetic shock, while the others have many injuries. Some injuries were ranged from the cuts and bruises to the heavy bleeding from the gunshot wounds, or car accidents. Sometimes, he has encountered death while assessing the patients.

Of course, I thought of what would Uncle T. do whenever I try to help someone who were injured at one time or another. Uncle T. has taught me many things about administering the first-aid to the injured patient while waiting for the ambulance or the emergency crew to come up to take over the care of the patient.

I know that sometimes, Uncle T. would run into some people who would refuse proper treatments for their illness or injury. Some have lived and some have died as the result of the bad decisions on the patients’ part. I also know that Uncle T. would run into some patients who were “Drama-Queens” or “Drama-Kings” No pun intended.

Then, there was “Rescue 911” and there were more of the interesting life saving stories of the real life situations and people. I could see Uncle T. rushing to the doorstep with the bulging equipment bags. I can imagine how Uncle T. would quickly stabilize the patient’s vital system before preparing to transport the patient on the stretcher and roll him or her into the ambulance.

Some may wonder what has become of Uncle T. Well, after had retired from his career as a paramedic and then helping Granddaddy with the swimming pool installations and such. He also used to work at a convenience store in Deland, Florida. While he was working at the convenience store one night; several men has broke into the store and robbed the store. He was attacked in the process as he was defending the store. He has had a bad concussion as the result. So that was where he had a clot formed by the injury, and that was when he had to stay on the blood-thinner for the rest of his life. The doctors had to keep an eye on that clot or otherwise it would break off and cause a heart attack.

So about a few months before May 13 or 14, 1992; the blood-clot has broken off because he has hit his head on something else while he was working on a small construction project. He did not suspect that it has broken off until he had passed out a few times so he was taken to the hospital for treatment of his diabetic instability. He also died from the second diabetic coma, but something else has killed him.

It was one night while I was at my Grandmother’s house when the hospital called on the Wednesday or Thursday night. The news has devastated a lot of the family members. What has killed Uncle T. was that the blood-clot has broken off and has travelled to his heart before it got lodged in the heart’s blood-vessel causing the heart to swell and burst. And, he was about to be ready to come out of the intensive care unit to the regular room at the Halifax Hospital in Daytona, Florida.

I have many fond memories of Uncle T. as I was growing up. I got to ride the ambulance as a passenger while he was transporting an elderly patient to the nursing home from the hospital. He helped me set up my first-aid kit for me to use in case of the emergency. He has given me some of his old patches to be sewn on my white shirt to be used on the “Career Day” while was at school. I have thought that was really awesome being able to wear my “paramedic” shirt so I can be a paramedic just like in the TV show, “Emergency!”.

He has a wonderful personality of the jolly man, but he is also a quiet man. Sometimes, he gets sarcastic in a quiet way. He likes to kid around and joke around. I know I’ve gotten picked on for sleeping in late past 12:00 PM or past noon! But, he also has the serious side. When he gets mad, which I’ve seldom saw his anger, he’ll be more quiet and one can tell with his eyes that were blazing. So over-all, you don’t see him so angry that often. I have rarely seen him in an angry mood. He was such sweet and quiet man.

So whenever I watched any news, TV shows depicting a paramedic or an ambulance, or just sees an ambulance rushing by; I think of Uncle T. being the driver and making sure that someone’s life is saved. I can imagine Uncle T. going to various emergencies and just fit right in with the other paramedics as they worked feverishly to save a patient’s life wherever there’s a motor-vehicle accident or another gunshot victim.

Just lately; I thought of Uncle T. and I have thought of what he would have done if he were sitting at the computer connect to the internet, and chatting in the Christian-chat Network, and if he had seen the distress in the chatter’s typing. He would have done the same thing that he has always done. It is to save a person’s life whether that person wants help or not. Uncle T. would have said that same thing that I have told the other person in the chat room; “Get help!” Uncle T. is the type that he would NOT take “No.” for an answer when it comes to the life-and-death situation. This incident has happened a few months ago in a chat room.

So Uncle T. has a few careers besides being a paramedic and an ambulance driver. He has helped Granddaddy George with the swimming pool business. He has worked in several convenience stores. He has had a full life despite that he had diabetes for many years. He has been married his wife, Mary Farlene Hoyle whom he calls “My Bride”. I remembered that saying so fondly… He would say, “That’s my Bride.” He loves his wife so dearly. They have several children together, and they have raised the four children, Jimmy, Cynthia, Henry Thomas Jr, (Little T.) and Joseph (Little Joe). Both Uncle T. and Aunt Farlene were loving couple for many years despite the many circumstances. This is one of the long-lasting marriages that I have seen over the years in my family.

Both Granddaddy and Uncle T. were the same age, which is quite unusual. They both would have been 76 years old by now if they are still alive.

So that is another person that I would like to write about. He has been an integral part of my life as I was growing up, and remember the fun things and the lessons learned from each other as the Uncle and the Niece.

May God bless you and you all take care of yourselves.