The Thief

Have you ever come face to face with a thief? I have and I will never forget it.

What would you do if you came face to face with a theif? Would you run from them? Would you fight them off? Would you plead with them and beg for mercy? Would you offer them money or your jewelry - just to get them to leave?

The thief I met didn't want my money and didn't want my jewelry and even though I begged and pleaded for him to go away - he stole from me anyway. Only, he took something far more precious than jewels, paintings, priceless heirlooms. I tried to run from this thief - but he followed. I tried to fight this thief - but it was no use. This thief played mind games with me. He would leave and I would think everything was o.k. only for him to return a few weeks or a month later. It didn't even matter that my whole family showed up to fight against this thief. It didn't matter, because he was too strong and he has no heart, no feelings and no conscience.

Once you've met this thief you are forever changed. Your priorities change, your life changes. What was so important before has now taken a back seat. Childhood memories come flooding back until you are overwhelmed with them.

This thief has many names; however the one I met was named Leukemia. Leukemia stole something more valuable from me than anything I could ever imagine. I was forced to stand by and watch Leukemia rob my father of his strength and the use of his hands and feet, and his taste for the foods he loved.

Leukemia may have stolen these things from my Daddy - but the thief couldn't take his dignity and his wisdom and his love for his family and he can't take our memories.

Have you ever met one of these thieves? If you have, you now know just as I do, that it doesn't matter how young or old you are - losing someone you love still hurts. It hurts every time you see a father or mother with a child on t.v. or in the park or in the store or at the school. Everytime you see or hear something and want to tell them about it and you go to pick up the phone to call and realize they are no longer there.

Now let me ask you again.... Have you ever come face to face with a thief?