Wednesday, August 02, 2006
It was a year ago today that we found out mom had cancer, it was one of the worst days I can remember, just her and I and the doctor in the office when we got the news. It was such a surreal day, then we went to lunch after the appointment....and they played the song..."If you get there before I do" by Colin Raye, and my mother and I sat there quite at the table crying.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Surgeon General Warns of Secondhand Smoke
By LAURAN NEERGAARD
WASHINGTON (AP) - Breathing any amount of someone else's tobacco smoke harms nonsmokers, the surgeon general declared Tuesday - a strong condemnation of secondhand smoke that is sure to fuel nationwide efforts to ban smoking in public.
``The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard,'' said U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona.
More than 126 million nonsmoking Americans are regularly exposed to smokers' fumes - what Carmona termed ``involuntary smoking'' - and tens of thousands die each year as a result, concludes the 670-page study. It cites ``overwhelming scientific evidence'' that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung cancer and a list of other illnesses.
The report calls for completely smoke-free buildings and public places, saying that separate smoking sections and ventilation systems don't fully protect nonsmokers. Seventeen states and more than 400 towns, cities and counties have passed strong no-smoking laws.
But public smoking bans don't reach inside private homes, where just over one in five children breathes their parents' smoke - and youngsters' still developing bodies are especially vulnerable. Secondhand smoke puts children at risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, as well as bronchitis, pneumonia, worsening asthma attacks, poor lung growth and ear infections, the report found.
Carmona implored parents who can't kick the habit to smoke outdoors, never in a house or car with a child. Opening a window to let the smoke out won't protect them.
``Stay away from smokers,'' he urged everyone else.
Even a few minutes around drifting smoke is enough to spark an asthma attack, make blood more prone to clot, damage heart arteries and begin the kind of cell damage that over time can lead to cancer, he said.
Repeatedly questioned about how the Bush administration would implement his findings, Carmona would only pledge to publicize the report in hopes of encouraging anti-smoking advocacy. Passing anti-smoking laws is up to Congress and state and local governments, he said.
``My job is to make sure we keep a light on this thing,'' he said.
Still, public health advocates said the report should accelerate an already growing movement toward more smoke-free workplaces.
``This could be the most influential surgeon general's report in 15 years,'' said Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. ``The message to governments is: The only way to protect your citizens is comprehensive smoke-free laws.''
The report won't surprise doctors. It isn't a new study but a compilation of the best research on secondhand smoke done since the last surgeon general's report on the topic in 1986, which declared secondhand smoke a cause of lung cancer that kills 3,000 nonsmokers a year.
Since then, scientists have proved that even more illnesses are triggered or worsened by secondhand smoke. Topping that list: More than 35,000 nonsmokers a year die from heart disease caused by secondhand smoke.
Regular exposure to someone else's smoke increases the risk of a nonsmoker getting heart disease or lung cancer by up to 30 percent, Carmona found.
Some tobacco companies acknowledge the risks. But R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which has fought some of the smoking bans, challenges the new report's call for complete smoke-free zones and insists the danger is overblown.
``Bottom line, we believe adults should be able to patronize establishments that permit smoking if they choose to do so,'' said RJR spokesman David Howard.
And a key argument of some business owners' legal challenges to smoking bans is that smoking customers will go elsewhere, cutting their profits.
But the surgeon general's report concludes that's not true. It cites a list of studies that found no negative economic impact from city and state smoking bans - including evidence that New York City restaurants and bars increased business by almost 9 percent after going smoke-free.
To help make the point, Carmona's office videotaped mayors of smoke-free cities and executives of smoke-free companies, including the founder of the Applebee's restaurant chain, saying business got better when the haze cleared.
In addition to the scientific report, Carmona issued advice for consumers and employers Tuesday:
Choose smoke-free restaurants and other businesses, and thank them for going smoke-free.
Don't let anyone smoke near your child. Don't take your child to restaurants or other indoor places that allow smoking.
Smokers should never smoke around a sick relative.
Employers should make all indoor workspace smoke-free and not allow smoking near entrances, to protect the health of both customers and workers, and offer programs to help employees kick the habit.
On the Net:
Report: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov
06/27/06 23:06 � Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
By LAURAN NEERGAARD
WASHINGTON (AP) - Breathing any amount of someone else's tobacco smoke harms nonsmokers, the surgeon general declared Tuesday - a strong condemnation of secondhand smoke that is sure to fuel nationwide efforts to ban smoking in public.
``The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard,'' said U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona.
More than 126 million nonsmoking Americans are regularly exposed to smokers' fumes - what Carmona termed ``involuntary smoking'' - and tens of thousands die each year as a result, concludes the 670-page study. It cites ``overwhelming scientific evidence'' that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung cancer and a list of other illnesses.
The report calls for completely smoke-free buildings and public places, saying that separate smoking sections and ventilation systems don't fully protect nonsmokers. Seventeen states and more than 400 towns, cities and counties have passed strong no-smoking laws.
But public smoking bans don't reach inside private homes, where just over one in five children breathes their parents' smoke - and youngsters' still developing bodies are especially vulnerable. Secondhand smoke puts children at risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, as well as bronchitis, pneumonia, worsening asthma attacks, poor lung growth and ear infections, the report found.
Carmona implored parents who can't kick the habit to smoke outdoors, never in a house or car with a child. Opening a window to let the smoke out won't protect them.
``Stay away from smokers,'' he urged everyone else.
Even a few minutes around drifting smoke is enough to spark an asthma attack, make blood more prone to clot, damage heart arteries and begin the kind of cell damage that over time can lead to cancer, he said.
Repeatedly questioned about how the Bush administration would implement his findings, Carmona would only pledge to publicize the report in hopes of encouraging anti-smoking advocacy. Passing anti-smoking laws is up to Congress and state and local governments, he said.
``My job is to make sure we keep a light on this thing,'' he said.
Still, public health advocates said the report should accelerate an already growing movement toward more smoke-free workplaces.
``This could be the most influential surgeon general's report in 15 years,'' said Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. ``The message to governments is: The only way to protect your citizens is comprehensive smoke-free laws.''
The report won't surprise doctors. It isn't a new study but a compilation of the best research on secondhand smoke done since the last surgeon general's report on the topic in 1986, which declared secondhand smoke a cause of lung cancer that kills 3,000 nonsmokers a year.
Since then, scientists have proved that even more illnesses are triggered or worsened by secondhand smoke. Topping that list: More than 35,000 nonsmokers a year die from heart disease caused by secondhand smoke.
Regular exposure to someone else's smoke increases the risk of a nonsmoker getting heart disease or lung cancer by up to 30 percent, Carmona found.
Some tobacco companies acknowledge the risks. But R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which has fought some of the smoking bans, challenges the new report's call for complete smoke-free zones and insists the danger is overblown.
``Bottom line, we believe adults should be able to patronize establishments that permit smoking if they choose to do so,'' said RJR spokesman David Howard.
And a key argument of some business owners' legal challenges to smoking bans is that smoking customers will go elsewhere, cutting their profits.
But the surgeon general's report concludes that's not true. It cites a list of studies that found no negative economic impact from city and state smoking bans - including evidence that New York City restaurants and bars increased business by almost 9 percent after going smoke-free.
To help make the point, Carmona's office videotaped mayors of smoke-free cities and executives of smoke-free companies, including the founder of the Applebee's restaurant chain, saying business got better when the haze cleared.
In addition to the scientific report, Carmona issued advice for consumers and employers Tuesday:
Choose smoke-free restaurants and other businesses, and thank them for going smoke-free.
Don't let anyone smoke near your child. Don't take your child to restaurants or other indoor places that allow smoking.
Smokers should never smoke around a sick relative.
Employers should make all indoor workspace smoke-free and not allow smoking near entrances, to protect the health of both customers and workers, and offer programs to help employees kick the habit.
On the Net:
Report: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov
06/27/06 23:06 � Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Monday, April 10, 2006
The Dangers of Second Hand Smoke!
Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke exhaled by smokers and the smoke that
comes from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe. You also may have
heard it called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), passive, or involuntary
smoke. Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 substances. Many of them are
dangerous poisons and can cause cancer. Anyone exposed to secondhand smoke
inhales these substances.
Lung disease, including lung cancer, is the third leading cause of death in
the U.S. Secondhand smoke:
- Can cause lung cancer in nonsmokers; the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency lists it as a Group A carcinogen, a rating used only for substances
(i.e., asbestos) proven to cause cancer in humans .
- Will cause an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths this year.
- Can be a direct health threat to people who already have heart and lung
diseases.
- Increases the risk of serious lung disease during the first two years of a
child's life.
Did You Know?
- Nonsmokers who live with smokers are more likely to develop lung cancer
than other nonsmoking adults.
- If you have asthma, secondhand smoke can make your breathing problems
worse.
- Young children are especially sensitive to secondhand smoke. A baby who
lives in a home where one or both parents smoke is more likely to have lung
disease serious enough to need treatment in a hospital during the first two
years of life.
- Children exposed to secondhand smoke in the home are more likely to cough
and wheeze and to have middle ear problems.
How To Protect Your Family At Home
- Don't allow smoking in your home. Ask smokers to smoke outside or, if you
must, limit smoking to a separately ventilated room.
- Be supportive. Help the smoker to quit.
- Place "Thank You for Not Smoking" signs around the house.
- Do not allow babysitters or others who work in your home to smoke in the
house.
What If People Smoke Where You Work?
NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) has determined
that secondhand smoke may cause lung cancer in exposed workers.
- On-the-job exposure to secondhand smoke can be four times higher than in
the home.
- Secondhand smoke can irritate your eyes, nose and throat.
- Some workers are already exposed to substances that can cause lung
disease. Secondhand smoke in the workplace can only increase the danger.
- To protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, the workplace must be totally
smoke free or smoking must be limited to a separate, enclosed area with its
own ventilation system. As of 1991, about 4 out of 10 American companies
with smoking policies were smoke free.
A Special Message For Smokers
Smoke-free worksites can be tough on smokers. Here are some tipsfor coping:
- In smoke free areas, do something to take your mind off smoking. Take a
walk or stretch. Have a glass of water or a light snack.
- If you must smoke, make sure you are not in a "No Smoking" area
before you light up and don't let cigarettes smolder in ashtrays.
- Try to quit smoking. See if your company offers any programs to help you
quit or contact one of the organizations listed on the back of this booklet.
For more information, please visit the following MedicineNet.com areas:
Source: www.cdc.gov
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=19930
Lung Cancer Hits Young, Non-Smoking Women
By ANDREA CANNING
Aug. 6, 2005 — In her West Bloomfield, Mich., home, Lisa Roffman wiped away tears as she read from a journal she keeps for her 9-year-old daughter, Leah.
"You are a special gift to the world," Roffman read. "You will always be alright. I love you so much. Love, Mommy."
At 44 years young, Roffman is preparing to die.
"There's a limited time period," she said. "There's a sadness and an urgency."
Two-and-a-half years ago, Roffman, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer and given less than five years to live.
"It was a complete and total shock," she said. "I certainly thought that it was going to be people who had smoked their whole lives. I always thought it was more men than women. I thought they were people who were 60 or older."
As the number of men with lung cancer declines, the American Cancer Society estimates that 73,020 women will die in the United States of lung cancer this year, more than those who will die from breast, ovarian and uterine cancers combined.
Ill Despite Healthy Lifestyle
While no national studies have yet been done, many lung cancer specialists say they're seeing a disturbing trend of more and more non-smoking women with the disease.
"Many of them have done an excellent job of taking care of themselves," said Dr. Joan Schiller, who specializes in lung cancer in non-smoking younger women at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. "They run. They eat right."
Ten percent to 15 percent of lung cancer victims are non-smokers. Among that group, women are two to three times more likely than men to get the disease. Doctors don't know why. Hormones, second-hand smoke, diet and air pollution all are believed to be factors.
Though lung cancer is deadlier to women than other types of cancer, breast cancer gets almost 10 times more research funding per death than lung cancer, Schiller said.
"These women are tragic victims of the fact that they have a disease that is associated with smoking," Schiller added.
Adding to the deadliness of lung cancer, the symptoms, which include shortness of breath and a chronic cough, often are misdiagnosed as asthma.
New Hope in Study, Drugs
Lately though, there is some hope.
In a search for answers, the National Cancer Institute has funded a grant to the Southwest Oncology Group, a cooperative research group of 283 institutions, to look at gender differences in smokers versus non-smokers with lung cancer. In what will be the largest study of its kind, researchers will look at tumor tissue and healthy tissue from men and women, smokers and non-smokers.
And in the more immediate term, doctors say non-smoking younger women are responding better than others to two new drugs — iressa and tarceva.
"There are certainly people whose cancer has gone away for years," Schiller said. "Will it last? We don't know.''
Iressa has stalled Roffman's cancer.
Tarceva is wiping out some tumors in Debbie Verhines of Saline, Mich.
"Oh, my gosh: I feel like it's given me my life back," Verhines said. "Yeah, it's a miracle drug."
Contemplating Life and Death
Verhines believes that aside from the drugs, conquering the disease is all in the attitude. As a show of strength she took off her wig.
"A lot of people haven't seen me bald," she said. "Hey, I can relate to people who are going through this. You can either have a happy illness or a sad illness, and I am going to have a happy illness."
The Roffmans understand that one day soon, Lisa may die. Her husband, Barry, contemplates life without her.
"I don't want to go in that room," he said. "I go right to the door and I don't open it. I just turn around and run the other way."
Every second is cherished as though it is the last. Lisa's daughter, Leah, prepares for her mom's death as the two share a kiss.
"Her soul and her spirit will always be with me," Leah said. "And her love."
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Health/story?id=1014929&page=1
Aug. 6, 2005 — In her West Bloomfield, Mich., home, Lisa Roffman wiped away tears as she read from a journal she keeps for her 9-year-old daughter, Leah.
"You are a special gift to the world," Roffman read. "You will always be alright. I love you so much. Love, Mommy."
At 44 years young, Roffman is preparing to die.
"There's a limited time period," she said. "There's a sadness and an urgency."
Two-and-a-half years ago, Roffman, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer and given less than five years to live.
"It was a complete and total shock," she said. "I certainly thought that it was going to be people who had smoked their whole lives. I always thought it was more men than women. I thought they were people who were 60 or older."
As the number of men with lung cancer declines, the American Cancer Society estimates that 73,020 women will die in the United States of lung cancer this year, more than those who will die from breast, ovarian and uterine cancers combined.
Ill Despite Healthy Lifestyle
While no national studies have yet been done, many lung cancer specialists say they're seeing a disturbing trend of more and more non-smoking women with the disease.
"Many of them have done an excellent job of taking care of themselves," said Dr. Joan Schiller, who specializes in lung cancer in non-smoking younger women at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. "They run. They eat right."
Ten percent to 15 percent of lung cancer victims are non-smokers. Among that group, women are two to three times more likely than men to get the disease. Doctors don't know why. Hormones, second-hand smoke, diet and air pollution all are believed to be factors.
Though lung cancer is deadlier to women than other types of cancer, breast cancer gets almost 10 times more research funding per death than lung cancer, Schiller said.
"These women are tragic victims of the fact that they have a disease that is associated with smoking," Schiller added.
Adding to the deadliness of lung cancer, the symptoms, which include shortness of breath and a chronic cough, often are misdiagnosed as asthma.
New Hope in Study, Drugs
Lately though, there is some hope.
In a search for answers, the National Cancer Institute has funded a grant to the Southwest Oncology Group, a cooperative research group of 283 institutions, to look at gender differences in smokers versus non-smokers with lung cancer. In what will be the largest study of its kind, researchers will look at tumor tissue and healthy tissue from men and women, smokers and non-smokers.
And in the more immediate term, doctors say non-smoking younger women are responding better than others to two new drugs — iressa and tarceva.
"There are certainly people whose cancer has gone away for years," Schiller said. "Will it last? We don't know.''
Iressa has stalled Roffman's cancer.
Tarceva is wiping out some tumors in Debbie Verhines of Saline, Mich.
"Oh, my gosh: I feel like it's given me my life back," Verhines said. "Yeah, it's a miracle drug."
Contemplating Life and Death
Verhines believes that aside from the drugs, conquering the disease is all in the attitude. As a show of strength she took off her wig.
"A lot of people haven't seen me bald," she said. "Hey, I can relate to people who are going through this. You can either have a happy illness or a sad illness, and I am going to have a happy illness."
The Roffmans understand that one day soon, Lisa may die. Her husband, Barry, contemplates life without her.
"I don't want to go in that room," he said. "I go right to the door and I don't open it. I just turn around and run the other way."
Every second is cherished as though it is the last. Lisa's daughter, Leah, prepares for her mom's death as the two share a kiss.
"Her soul and her spirit will always be with me," Leah said. "And her love."
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Health/story?id=1014929&page=1
Saturday, March 18, 2006
~Happy Birthday Mom~
To my mother on what would have been her 51st birthday if she was still with us:
(thanks for the dear friend that shared it with me)
~Happy Birthday Mom~
My Mother is so special to me,
a friend who was always near,
someone I could turn to,
to listen or shed a tear
I know I told you often
how much I loved you so,
but I could never tell you
as much as you should know
Now that you are gone from me,
I think of so many things
that I want to tell you,
but the phone will never ring
Happy Birthday my dear Mommy,
I send wishes to the above,
of the joy you always gave me,
the joy of devoted love
~by Jill Hoel
© Jill Hoel 2005
(thanks for the dear friend that shared it with me)
~Happy Birthday Mom~
My Mother is so special to me,
a friend who was always near,
someone I could turn to,
to listen or shed a tear
I know I told you often
how much I loved you so,
but I could never tell you
as much as you should know
Now that you are gone from me,
I think of so many things
that I want to tell you,
but the phone will never ring
Happy Birthday my dear Mommy,
I send wishes to the above,
of the joy you always gave me,
the joy of devoted love
~by Jill Hoel
© Jill Hoel 2005
Monday, January 30, 2006
DEATH~
A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said,
"Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."
"You don't know ? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"
The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before.
He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough."
Monday, January 23, 2006
Letter From Mother
Do not cry my sweet children, for my life has not end.
For I am in the presence of our Great and Mighty Lord,
In glory that one cannot comprehend.
I need not be hidden in the cleft of the rock
For I have seen the father face to face,
And I am part of His flock.
No longer do I have to depart from His most Glorious and Holy presence,
On His great mountain I will stay,
Robed in the Glory of His Love - The most Holy Ancient of Days.
Before you mourn for me, please remember this, Your mother is alive and living in the Great presence of His holiness.
-Michelle Collins
For I am in the presence of our Great and Mighty Lord,
In glory that one cannot comprehend.
I need not be hidden in the cleft of the rock
For I have seen the father face to face,
And I am part of His flock.
No longer do I have to depart from His most Glorious and Holy presence,
On His great mountain I will stay,
Robed in the Glory of His Love - The most Holy Ancient of Days.
Before you mourn for me, please remember this, Your mother is alive and living in the Great presence of His holiness.
-Michelle Collins
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Beloved Mother
A Beloved Mother And Very Best friend,
Dearest of all people, with a love that knows no end.
A playmate to her Children's Children,
She's both Grandma and a Friend.
Full of Childhood memories at the park and beach,
So fond and true all within our minds reach.
Blessed with beauty and an innocent heart,
She is Fairest of God's most exquisite art.
A Daughter, a Sister, a Wife and a Mom,
The Bride of Christ she has now become.
Her purpose fulfilled, and Her Legacy Left,
Again we will see her, and be no longer bereft.
Dearest of all people, with a love that knows no end.
A playmate to her Children's Children,
She's both Grandma and a Friend.
Full of Childhood memories at the park and beach,
So fond and true all within our minds reach.
Blessed with beauty and an innocent heart,
She is Fairest of God's most exquisite art.
A Daughter, a Sister, a Wife and a Mom,
The Bride of Christ she has now become.
Her purpose fulfilled, and Her Legacy Left,
Again we will see her, and be no longer bereft.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Time
If a loved one has departed,
and left an empty space,
Seek the inner stillness,
Set a slower pace.
Take time to remember,
Allow yourself to cry,
Acknowledge your emotions,
Let sadness pass on by.
Then center in the oneness,
Remember...God is here,
Death is but a change in form,
Your loved one is still here.
Treat yourself with kindness,
Allow yourself to feel,
God will do the mending,
And time will help you heal.
If a loved one has departed,
and left an empty space,
Seek the inner stillness,
Set a slower pace.
Take time to remember,
Allow yourself to cry,
Acknowledge your emotions,
Let sadness pass on by.
Then center in the oneness,
Remember...God is here,
Death is but a change in form,
Your loved one is still here.
Treat yourself with kindness,
Allow yourself to feel,
God will do the mending,
And time will help you heal.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Friday, January 06, 2006
Monday, January 02, 2006
When tomorrow starts without me
When tomorrow starts without me,
And I'm not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn't get to say.
I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,
And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye
For all my life, I'd always thought,
I didn't want to die.
I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It almost seemed impossible
That I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.
If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a while,
I'd say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through Heavens Gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,
He said, "This is eternity,
And all I've promised you.
Today your life on earth is past,
But here life starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day's the same way
There's no longing for the past.
You have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true.
Though there were times you did some things
You knew you shouldn't do.
But you have been forgiven
And now at last you're free.
So won't you come and take my hand
And share my life with me?"
So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here, in your heart.
David M Romano
December 1993
And I'm not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn't get to say.
I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,
And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye
For all my life, I'd always thought,
I didn't want to die.
I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It almost seemed impossible
That I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.
If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a while,
I'd say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through Heavens Gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,
He said, "This is eternity,
And all I've promised you.
Today your life on earth is past,
But here life starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day's the same way
There's no longing for the past.
You have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true.
Though there were times you did some things
You knew you shouldn't do.
But you have been forgiven
And now at last you're free.
So won't you come and take my hand
And share my life with me?"
So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here, in your heart.
David M Romano
December 1993
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