I guess if you're going to find out of the death of a friend from cancer, finding out at Relay for Life is the place to do it. On March 1st of this year, Hubby promised his friend from high school that he'd walk 100 laps for him this year. His friend had pancreatic cancer, stage 4. I know Trucks (as we know him) from meeting him a few years ago at their high school reunion, but Hubby has known him since back in his school days.
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| Left to right, Todd, "Skip", and "Trucks" at their high school reunion in August of 2013. |
Saturday Hubby was busting his butt to get through 100 laps. He was wearing old shoes and the sun was beating down. He'd posted on FB that he was doing it for his friend, and tagged him in the post. I guess that's how his Truck's wife learned of Hubby's efforts, and reached out to tell me that he'd passed the day before. I read the message when Hubby completed lap 98. I was furious. I guess we all saw it coming, but hoped otherwise. We hoped so much that we'd planned our summer vacation around going down to see him. I like to think that even though he probably knew he wasn't going to make it that far, it gave him something to look forward to as well. Lap 98 out of 100. I didn't tell Hubby. He asked what was wrong, and I told him to keep walking. I didn't tell him until after his promised 100 laps were done. He'd walked 100 laps in 10 hours where he normally does around 107 in 18. He's got blisters on his feet to show for it. Including the luminaria lap, he totalled 102 laps. He kept his promise.
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| The luminaria I made, before I got the news. |
For my part, I only met Trucks twice in person, but we kept in touch online. He made me feel welcome at the reunion where I was an outsider among a crowd that all knew each other. He laughed easily, which of course makes him my favorite kind of people. He was scrawny and spry and full of crazy. (Okay, everyone is scrawny to me.) I clearly remember him at the reunion in 2013, introducing me to everyone as "My girlfriend, and Skip's wife". I remember showing up at his house in August of 2014, and him making time to meet our kids and spend time with us. I remember Littlest Prince smacking into his glass sliding door, and how hard we all laughed. And I remember the stories... so many stories of the wilder, younger days of Skip and Trucks. My Father-In-Law still laughs and tells stories of their misadventures.
We were really hoping, and looking forward to seeing him. I don't know how this will affect our plans, but regardless of what we do, you can bet there'll be a bottle (or two, or three...) raised in his honor, and I'd be willing to believe that he'll be there 'round the campfire in some tiny way too.
