A Holiday Message from a Grieving Artist

This year I'm not creating or sending out holiday cards for the first time in 40 years. When my beautiful and beloved wife Donna died in my arms from hereditary cancer in June after a courageous battle against the heinous disease, my heart was irreparably broken and my creativity and joy disappeared into a black hole of unbearable grief. However, I would like to leave you with something to think about at this time of year, and to remind everyone that love, empathy, thoughtfulness, fierce compassion for others, and the courage to show up and speak up can prevent unnecessary suffering and the needless loss of a precious life.

One of my wife's favorite holiday movies was It's a Wonderful Life, so here's a paraphrased line from the movie to reflect upon...

“Strange, isn’t it? Each person’s life touches so many other lives. And when that person isn’t around they leave an awful hole, don’t they?”

Please join with me by opening up your hearts and wallets to honor and help patients and families dealing with the literal hell of cancer this holiday season...

FacingOurRisk.org

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 

Cancer Support Community Arizona 

Breast Cancer Research Foundation

BrightPink.org 

BRCAStrong

 

My wife's memorial tribute page at FacingOurRisk.org

  If I had a flower for every time I thought of you...I could walk through my garden forever.
-- Alfred Lord Tennyson