Emotional Saturday

I don't have a photo to post today. But I do have some thoughts. I hope my readers will be okay with that consolation prize.

It's been a pretty emotional day.

I'm always a little sappy when I leave some place. When I moved from Texas back to Iowa, I cried for about an hour. Not kidding. Even though I was excited to get back to my family and friends, I knew I was leaving behind a lot of people I might never see again and memories I feared might leave me over time and distance.

Today, I teared up a little as I headed north out of town. While I am very connected to Perry, I think there's less pain because I'm only a short drive away. And I'll be going back soon (Tuesday to clean and in a few months for an event I'm part of). So it didn't feel as final.

I think some of my tears were for another reason too. While I was loading the truck this morning, I learned a friend had lost his long battle with cancer. Ivyl has battled the deadly disease off and on for the past several years, and I guess this last round was just too much. He was an amazing man, strong in faith and spirit, and I never once heard him utter anything that could be conveyed as self-pity. He never seemed to ask "why me?" when it came to cancer; he always seemed to believe he'd beat it. And he did several times. But cancer is hateful, spiteful and without remorse. I don't hate a lot of things, but I HATE cancer. It has taken some fine people from this world long before their time. Ivyl is one of those people. I pray for his family as they navigate their grief. He will be missed. I look forward to honoring his memory at this year's Relay For Life.