I found out today that my great-uncle Ron received a preliminary cancer diagnosis – evidently widespread – insidious and everywhere. He’s only seventy-two.

This is the man who, among so many generous acts throughout life, battled a vicious gander for us when we were kids (I’m not kidding – the thing was savage beast). After herding it away from my cousins (technically they’re my Mother’s cousins, but we were all the same age, so we never could figure out if they were “removed” or whatnot), my siblings and I, the blasted thing continued its mad onslaught. So Uncle Ron, in defense of life and limb, grabbed the thing by the neck and started to swing it about towards the pond we were standing by. Surprisingly, the momentum took him all the way around in a circle which ended with a perfect backwards landing (what’s the opposite of a belly flop?) by Uncle Ron and the Gander INTO THE DRINK. It has to be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. We’ve said for over twenty years now that if we had footage of the whole spectacle that we’d have won a “funniest videos” show hands down.

All our love, support and good thoughts are with you, My Idahoan Extended Family. I will honour you, too, Uncle Ron, on LIVESTRONG® Day from our Nation’s Capitol. It’s no doubt an honour on which you’d pass. And I certainly would opt for a shorter list (okay – a nonexistent list) of those who I love who are battling, who have survived or who have succumbed to cancer.