I Lost My Father to Cancer
He smoked since he was 13 or something like that I heard my mom say. He's always smoked. He smoked in the house when we were all infants, of course back then they weren't aware of second hand smoke. He was a wonderful man as I remember him. He was so mellow. He always had a smile on his face and something funny to say. He cared so much for his family.
He married my mom at 23 and they had 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. The perfect family. We were so happy together, had a beautiful 5 bedroom house with a big back yard. We went to private schools and even had a maid. Then one day my mother noticed he would make a face whenever he pushed on the brake. She asked him if he was ok, of course he said he was. He never complained of anything, he hated going to the doctor's. But as time went by the pain got worse and worse. So my mom ended up dragging him there. It turned out they had to operate on him, but when they did they just closed him back up and said they were sorry but there wasn't anything else they could do. The cancer that had started in his lungs had spread all over his body. The doctors gave him 6 months to live. They tried chemo but unfortunately didn't work. He died at 43 leaving 6 of us behind. The oldest 17, the youngest 4. I was only 7. I never cried. I remember seeing the casket and going up to it and starring at him just laying there....lifeless. I didn't understand why he was dead. I tried to cry like everyone else was crying but I just couldn't back then. Now I'm making up for it. It's hard to grow up without a father in your life. Not only that but he didn't have life insurance so we had a lot of financial trouble after he died. My mom had never worked in her life before that so she had to suffer a lot doing odd jobs to support 6 kids on her own. I have a lot of respect and pride for my mother. She is one awesome lady.
By:
lily7
Age:
41-45
,
Female
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