I lost my mother earlier this year. In December of 2023, she went to the doctor because she was having confusion and coordination issues. She was diagnosed with a glioblastoma - an aggressive brain tumor that tends to spread out into your brain like tentacles. She passed away the following April of this year. She was an otherwise relatively healthy woman. She didn't take any medicines other than some vitamins and supplements, stayed active, and had a healthy heart and mind. This diagnosis and subsequent death blindsided all of us.

In January of this year, I received a call that my father had fallen while rushing to help her. With him out of commission for the next few months while (thankfully fully) recovered from a brain injury, I was left to temporarily move back to Greensboro from Chapel Hill an hour away, and scramble to manage the care for both. Thankfully they had the resources, the insurance, and the network of friends to make that in any way manageable. My parents were always incredibly good, decent, kind, generous and helpful people.And so, when they needed the help, there was no shortage of visitors and helpers. Among the dozens that helped, the two that I became especially close to during this time were my mom's younger sister Pam, and her best friend Pam. Throughout the experience, those two in turn became close friends, and I have no doubt that that makes my mother very happy wherever she is now.