Last week, I believe it was Thursday, I picked up the phone to find my brother in hysteria over his son's diagnosis of leukemia. After one of the worst weeks I've ever experienced, I'm elated and even a little baffled to report to you that the latest tests confirm there are no cancer cells in Adam's blood!

Day before yesterday I was peering down at my nephew on a gurney after he'd just come out of neurosurgery. A port was implanted in his head for the delivery of chemo to his brain. This was done in the event the cancer cells entered his cerebral fluid. The doctors had advised my brother and the family that we were in for a real fight; three years of chemo and monitoring. The very next day there is no sign of the disease!? Those doctors have got to be scratching they tiny heads...

As I have spread this incredible news, the question I am invariably asked is "Was he diagnosed wrong?" No, he wasn't. The leukemia was verified by more than one lab and numerous tests. So what happened? The medical community says it's a strong reaction to the treatment.
I say it's a strong reaction to the thousands of people who are praying for Adam.

As soon as we heard the news of his ailment, each of us contacted our various groups of friends. We each had prayer chains we worked with and those were initiated. My sister-in-law contacted the Diocese of Syracuse, and Adam was added to the prayer chain there, where literally thousands of people began praying for him. All over the country people have been praying for Adam daily. Even at the day camp where his little brother spends his summer afternoons, the children said prayers and made posters and cards.
No one can tell me that many people expending that much energy focused on one person isn't going to make a difference; and I don't care what you believe in. I do believe in God, and I also believe in Christ; although not in a traditional way. I came to believe these things through my own path and not by way of the church. My belief in these things does not exclude anyone else's beliefs, nor do I think anyone must believe what I believe in order to be right. The God I know created each of us totally uniquely; therefore each of us will and does have a completely unique relationship with that creator and there are many paths to finding that relationship. When you do find it, you discover there is no exclusionary politics; at least this is what I have found. Semantics play no part in the truth. But this is really here nor there...the important thing is Adam is recovering, quickly and thoroughly. It may be the medical treatment; it may be the overwhelming concern of thousands of people who have an abundance of love in their hearts and it is the response of a Universe that is based on the principle of LOVE, and asking for that which is needed.

I am so overjoyed that I am literally exhausted today. I was bursting all over the place ever since I heard Adam's voice on the phone yesterday morning and it was strong and clear and full of happiness! I absolutely thanked God all day long and praised Him for his Loving kindness and healing. It is right to give thanks and be grateful..just as the American Indians always did for the bounty they received from Mother Earth and they were not Christians. My perception of God is very much along the lines of the indigenous Americans. The Christ is an attainable level of being where one is united with the Spirit of Love and the entire Universe. The man Jesus attained this and became an eternal being, overcoming death. As it is said in eastern religions, he attained "godhead". This is the point of existence. The path is through divine love. This is what the Christian religion teaches.

As people perceive that we are in the "end days"; as we perceive this mad world of darkness, we also perceive the need for more humanistic values. We see that we need more compassion, more honesty, more dedication to people than to money. There is fear amongst people, so they look for someway to alleviate this fear. Many remember their Christian background and think.."where two or more are gathered in His name, there will He be also" and so they are praying together for a return to these basic principles of humanity. What is happening therefore, is that they are manifesting the Christ consciousness. In essence..they are manifesting the "Second Coming". At least this is my humble opinion. Thank you.

He's a big kid...just graduated from high school. He's been filling out college applications in between his shifts at work. He's only 17 years old, so when he started feeling so tired as to not even want to get off the sofa two weeks ago, everyone just thought it was the flu or something. His visit to the doctor brought more suspicion in his fatigue and pale coloring than a virus however; and blood tests had my brother rushing Adam to a nearby urban hospital the very next day. Leukemia...my nephew has leukemia.

Five days later, the entire family is exhausted. We've run back and forth to the hospital, watching in horror as Adam is pumped full of blood, platlets, drugs and god knows what else. Unending test results, consults with doctors, more tests. The prognosis is good; matter of fact it's very good. But not until he has endured three years of medical treatment, which he must travel over an hour to and from each week from now until 2011. And I have to ask myself how this will impact on his education and his job...his social life, his band?

To see him laying there in a hospital bed, white as a ghost, grayed lips, writhing in agony...my insides ache and there is little I can do to help him except be strong and stand nearby. What I really want to do is stomp up and down the hallway raging! I want to grab someone and shake them and scream, "Who did this!? Who's fault is this that my young nephew is suffering? Who will pay for this, who's head will roll!" And I just want to tear things apart with my bare hands and make someone, some agency..some corporation, some president, some asshole responsible. But there is no one to hold accountable. It's just one of those things. People get sick. You can't stop it...you can't account for it...you can't find a logical reason for it, because there isn't one. So you're just left, dumbfounded. Someone you love very much is suffering and you can't make it stop. All you can do is watch. And the resulting emotion is overwhelming and there's nowhere to put it.

But my brother, Wayne, who is my youngest brother; that boy hasn't left Adam's side. He's camped out right next to his son's bed, man, and that's where he's been since Adam checked in. There have been times I've wondered about my brother. There've been times I've doubted my brother. But I've seen a man step up this week...I've seen a man be a father like a father should be. I've seen my brother be the kind of father I always wished I'd had...a dad who's THERE. Wayne may not always have the right answers. He may not always do the right thing..but when the call comes in, Wayne answers it. He tries. That's my definition of a good man. Good men raise good sons and I know Adam is going to grow up to be a good man because I know he's going to beat this leukemia. And his father will be there every step of the way with him. And so will the rest of his family...because we stick together, ragtaggled bunch that we are. Yeah, we have our problems..our differences; we know how to push each others' buttons. But when the manure hits the fan and the world starts to stink, I for one am going to be there with the people I've been dodging those cowpies with all along. Guess I can't imagine being anywhere else.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cheese

I'm really only now at age 58 beginning to learn the real meaning of friendship. We believe we understand these things at various times in our lives; and we do! But the depth of our understanding becomes ever more heartful and meaningful as we travel the path of life with the people we come to know as true friends.

For example, one might think as an axiom; "A friend is someone who is always there when you need them". Well, in reality that's not always possible. Sometimes real life prevents a friend from being there when you really need them because they have needs of their own; but that doesn't mean they don't really love you. And if you really love them, you understand and accept it.

We might also think that a friend is someone who would never hurt us. The truth is, whenever people really care about each other there is a chance someone will get hurt. That's just part of life! What real friends do in a situation like that is communicate their emotions, talk about it and work it out. They forgive each other and move on.

I've lost track of good friends over time, and then found them years later. We picked up as if no time had passed between us at all! It was uncanny and I am ever mystified by the resilience of love.

I told you about my recent visit back to my home town and my 40th high school reunion. The only reason I was able to attend that event was my BFF for most of my life, Marsha Hannah. This little squirt of a girl...women now of course...has been a mate of mine since 3rd grade. We practiced our violin lessons in my bedroom together when we were nine years old. Boy did we hate it. We were "fast" together, smoking our first cigarettes and tasting our first sips of beer at around age twelve in the field behind the beach. We sat together in French class and discovered the Beatles at 13.
Our parents even allowed us to travel to Toronto together twice to see the Beatles..silly parents...and we discovered trouble. Ah, youth.

In our junior year, Marsha's family had to move away. It was a heart breaking event for me...but I was already use to heartbreak and got a little bit harder and a little bit tougher as a result. I lost track of her.

Over the years I thought about two little Beatle-maniacs let loose on the world...faking British accents, burning incense, drinking English tea, sewing mini skirts out of mattress ticking. We did the funniest things, and I wondered where she was.
One night I was watching television and there was a show on about the CIA's remote viewing project. They were interviewing a professor from UC Davis who had done all the statistics on the project and it was...Marsha's sister!! I got on my computer, found Jet's info, emailed her, and within less than 24 hours, Marsha and I were reunited! And like I said above...it was as if no time had ever passed between us.

Then I get a call a few months ago about this fantasy of hers and the next thing I know, the two of us are attending the 40th high school reunion together! Even though she really never got to graduate with us...she went from kindergarten to eleventh grade with us! And the fact is, without her help, I could not have gone at all. I don't drive. I could not afford to go either. That girl paid my way! I tried to pay for meals and so forth..and she allowed me to. And then when I wasn't looking, she popped money into my handbag. My health isn't real good at the moment, so she looked after me like a mother hen. She bought me a reunion tee shirt after I spent my extra money on a tip for the hotel attendant - called it my birthday present. So, I always thought I knew what friendship was, but Marsha has so raised the bar that I don't know who could ever come close to meeting up to those standards! She is one in a billion. Not even my own family has ever shown me so much consideration or thoughtfulness. Who is that sweet and kind and generous? I don't just have friends for friends..I have angels.

So her fantasy of attending her high school reunion with me came true, but for me...she changed my entire perception of how I remember my old home town. Instead of looking at it from the point of view of what a lousy time my parents gave me there...I now look at it as what a great time Marsha and I had growing up there, and how lucky I was then, and am now to have a friend in her.

Bill Aydelotte was a classmate of mine. He was kind of a tall, gawky kid with ears that stuck out funny. He stayed on the island where we grew up and ended up buying the little tavern where we all use to drink illegally when we were 16 or 17. The drinking age was only 18 back in those days because the logic was if you were old enough to die for your country in a war, you were old enough to get drunk. Apparently these days that is not true...you may well be old enough to die for your country; but you are not old enough to make the choice to drink, smoke, or even drive at night in some states at 18. Pretty strange thinking in my opinion. Keep those damn cigarettes away from the kids, but allow the military to court them in high school hallways...whatever makes money I guess.
It would seem to me that if a person is not old enough to make these kinds of choices..then would deciding to kill or die not also be one of those things that should be held for a more mature age?

Anyway, Bill grew up to be a good man; supported a lot of kids' sports teams, backed many activities in the community. Whenever anyone who'd left came back to visit, they'd stop by BA's first and get all the latest news on what was happening on the island. I guess Bill knew everything about who was doing what, marrying who, divorcing who...all the inside dope. I don't know, because I didn't go back much. I had too many bad memories of the place. My childhood was a wreck, and school was a nightmare. I couldn't see the good things that had happened there because it was over-shadowed and my fears of the place had become mythical in my own mind.

Sometime last year, Billy got diagnosed with brain cancer. He knew his chances, and they weren't good; but instead of worrying about it, he looked towards the future. He had a plan: a 40th high school reunion. The news went out and the work began. I didn't know it, but all over the country people started working like busy little elves preparing and organising. July 4th weekend was set for the date and those involved started searching for the 200 lost souls of the class of '68...quickly...time bearing down on them.

About 100 of us came together on Grand Island this past weekend. Sadly, Bill Aydelotte didn't get to be there with us...but what he accomplished before he left this earth was inspiring and miraculous! I experienced more love, more warm bear hugs and more joy during the past three days than I have in the past three years! People who never had a thing in common ended the weekend best friends; and best friends hung on to each other like there was no tomorrow. And one hundred people found true love.
Myself? My face hurts from smiling...I understand a whole lot better the true meaning of love and friendship...and for the very first time in my life, that little island never looked so beautiful. I couldn't get enough of it and the tears streamed down my cheeks as she disappeared from view as I looked through the rear window while my girlfriend Marsha drove us back home; a friend I shall make sure I treasure all the more in the future.

Thank you Billy...you sure earned your wings and halo with this one!

Actually, on the 8th day I shopped, again. So, if we had Goddess ruling the world, we'd have six days of working, then two days of shopping...what does everyone think? Actually..in this 8 day week of mine, on the two days at the end..you can do whatever you want, I don't care. You can shop, you can relax, you can party, you can piss around...and I require no worship...not for myself anyway. I do think it's a good idea to commune with the Divine, mainly because it reminds you that there is more to life than people. Not that there's anything wrong with people, but they do tend to be a bit frustrating at times, whereas the Divine is never frustrating. God/Goddess is simply, well, divine! And spending time with Him/Her is quite refreshing! Probably the only thing that keeps me going..well, keeps me positive, that's for sure! Lots of things keep me going; but I'd be hard pressed to keep a smile if it were not for the magic...and the magic is what I call God. I know many people think of "that" as a white bearded man sitting on a throne up in the sky somewhere..but that isn't my perception. It would be rather difficult to explain my perception of God actually, other than to say IT is a consciousness that exists at all places at all times, always has and always will. I perceive it as interactive and multi-dimensional. "It" is at the same time outside of me and inside of me, and part of every molecule of existence. How's that for an explanation? I see no disparity between science and religion either. As far as I can tell, they're the same thing seen from different perspectives; the left brain and the right brain, actually.
For science to say man is the epitome of existence is so arrogant I cringe, although I might agree with them if they weren't speaking from ego.
That they say there is no God amuses me to no end. One has only to look beyond the end of their own nose to see the truth of that question. For those who argue, all I can say is, Look! Can't see it? Look some more. Keep looking.....boy are you dense. Here's a hint...you're problem may be in semantics. Open up your deinitions box and climb out of it...look beyond those words. Just turn off the words completely for a little while and SEE. That is all you have to do...and if you can't see, then listen, or feel..use your senses, not your mind. You can't think God. You have to FEEL God. Then you can think about the experience all you want...but until you have felt the feeling of connectedness...of beingness, of oneness...of Godness...what can you think about? Words. Words can mean many things to many people. Your individual experience is what it is to YOU. It is unique, and you KNOW it. No one tells you what has happened to you...what it means...but; you can take that experience and go and compare it with scripture if you want to and see if this measures up to the icon of what you consider religious. However..what I am talking about is true religious experience...and everyone is invited to join with God. That's what the bible and the bagavadgita and all those holy books are talking about! Experiencing God yourself. Because when you do...you understand yourself why that information means something. Why you wouldn't ever want to hurt someone else...why it is a good thing to take care of other people..why it is NEVER EVER justified to make war. (defending ones self maybe another story).
The fact is, there are many ways of describing this experience. Christianity calls it the Ascension. Buddhism calls it Nirvana..and science calls it the right brain experience. Many of you will be shocked by this explanation and will deny it...but what I'm saying is, that this wonderful expansion of Spirit is becoming more accessible to more people. And the more people who are able to experience it, the more peaceful and wonderful this planet can become.

Please view this little video featuring Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. She is a brain doctor who suffered a very serious stroke at 37 years old. She talks about her experience as a person and as a scientist; and it is very, very interesting. The reason I found it fascinating is because I have experienced much of what she relates during my own neurosurgical experience which was on the left side of my brain. I know you will not only enjoy her very entertaining style, but gain a lot of insight from her talk. Thanks for reading~ I think it's important stuff.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html