My Dear Uncle Harvey passed away Saturday after living gracefully with Leukemia for 10 years. He will be missed by many. This follows the death of my sister who was only 47 and had two children under 10 years old.

Early in my life, I was sheltered from death. I lost my two grandfathers relatively early, and a couple of uncles, but I did not have close relationships to them, nor did I get a full glimpse of the process and the people involved. As a result, I believe I did not take death seriously, and of course I had no sense of my own mortality.

Now of course, everything is different. My life is more than half over, and I feel the losses personally, as well as am involved closely with others who are mourning. I feel as though a part of me has died, yet I also feel a great sense of gratefulness to still be here, and to have a chance to serve my wife, my children, and my two parents, who by the grace of God, are still living and healthy.

Today I begin living the rest of my life with a renewed commitment to my health, and a sense of devotion to family, friends, and the world in which I live.