pitterpat

It’s always sad to talk about those we love who have passed away, whether recent or further back in time. It is within this framework of emotions that I want to express my grief over the passing of a family member, John Laxalt. John and his wonderful wife Candy were high school classmates of mine, both graduating in 1972, a year after me. They were both involved in school activities, John on the varsity basketball team, Candy a cheerleader or the “pep squad” as they called it back in the day.

John and Candy were a couple back in high school, as shown here in a photo taken from my 1971 graduating year book. Their photos filled the pages showing them in various school activities. I never really got to know them during the high school years. It wasn’t until my father in law Vern, married Candy’s mother, Jackie, that we became related and began to see and have a chance to get to know each other. In the last 6-8 years, approximately, Candy and I have had the unfortunate event of having even more in common, when she was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Candy has struggled for so long with the debilitating symptoms of this disease. And then the devastating news that John had cancer.

It just doesn’t seem fair sometimes, all the stuff that is thrown at us in life. It feels as if too much tragedy happens to those who don’t deserve it, and the ones that are careless in life skate through it with nary a scratch or personal hardship. Maybe karma will catch up to them. Who knows. All I know is I wish peace for John. And for Candy, I hope somehow she will be able to find comfort in knowing family is there for her, whenever.