|
Author and syndicated columnist Tom Blake is the authority on finding love after 50, providing information and advice for widowers, widows, divorced men,
divorced women, middle-aged singles, boomer singles and senior singles. Lonely? Want to find a mate? Find answers on this website and subscribe to Tom's weekly e-mail
newsletter.
Monday, December 20, 2004
To live strong, love strong
Today, we share this holiday season message: Appreciate and love the people in your life every day.
Three months ago, a package arrived in my mailbox, sent from my brother Bill in Dallas. It was so light, I couldn't imagine what was inside.
When I opened it, the only contents were a short note and two yellow fluorescent bracelets made out of light rubber, with the word "LIVESTRONG" (Live Strong)
embedded in each.
The note said the bracelets were introduced May 17 by the Lance Armstrong Foundation to raise money for cancer education, research and advocacy
programs.
Many of you probably know about these bracelets. Millions have been distributed; many people wear them. Armstrong, a cancer survivor, wore a yellow
bracelet while winning his sixth Tour de France bike race this year.
I put one of the bracelets on my wrist, but wasn't sure what to do with the other one. And then I thought about my friend of 10 years, Cliffy Gross of Anaheim.
In 1999, my partner, Greta, and I had Cliffy over for dinner, to introduce him to one of Greta's single girlfriends. But no match was made. Then, on May 23 of
that year, Cliffy met a special woman named Tracy.
Tracy and Cliffy were married in the summer of 2003. His friends noticed a new happiness and added bounce in his step.
Last December, when Tracy had an operation, stage-four incurable cancer was discovered. As 2004 progressed, Tracy's condition worsened.
Being aware of Tracy's condition, I sent her the other yellow, "LIVESTRONG" bracelet. Cliffy
said she put it on immediately. On Nov. 28, Tracy passed away.
Her funeral was Dec. 3 at Forest Lawn in Cypress.
To the right of the altar, there was a picture of Tracy and her sister Shelly on an easel. During Joe Marinelli's eulogy of Tracy, the sun shone through the chapel
window, but only on Tracy's half of the picture.
As Joe spoke, the sun moved down her face, and shortly after he finished, it moved to a bouquet of flowers just to the right of her picture.
People were awed at Cliffy's strength and presence. I asked him how he was able to do it. "My strength came from my three promises: (1) to her father on his
deathbed that I'd take good care of his daughter, (2) to her on our wedding day 'through sickness and health,' and (3) 'until death do us part I will love and cherish you.'
"My strength also came from my total love and affection for her."
At the end of the service, as guests filed pass the casket, there, placed on the top, was Tracy's yellow bracelet. "She wore it every day until she died," Cliffy
said, "It gave her hope."
Later, as four of us were driving home, Tommy Thompson of Aliso Viejo said, "It's all about family, friends and loved ones; the other stuff isn't important."
Cliffy wanted to share a message for all to live by: "Hold your loved ones tightly, as if today is their last. Special relationships are hard to come by and you never
know what sudden misfortunes can happen."
"LIVESTRONG," Cliffy. Tracy is smiling down on you.
| 
