Summary

David, the husband of the author, honors his lifelong friend Mike with a poem and reflections on their friendship, which was rekindled shortly before Mike's passing from cancer.

Abstract

The website content is a heartfelt tribute by the author's husband, David, to his childhood friend Mike, who recently succumbed to pancreatic cancer. After years of lost contact, they reconnected through Facebook, allowing David to support Mike and his wife Julie during his battle with cancer. David cherished the renewed connection despite the physical distance between them, with Mike in England and David in Texas. Unable to attend the memorial service, David wrote a touching poem expressing his memories and enduring friendship with Mike, emphasizing the timeless bond they shared. The poem reflects on their shared childhood, school days, work life, and the joy of reconnecting later in life, including shared interests and family updates. The piece concludes with David's heartfelt farewell to his friend, acknowledging the permanence of Mike's memory in his thoughts.

Opinions

David values his tender-hearted nature and the importance of maintaining friendships.
Mike's diagnosis and subsequent battle with cancer deeply affected David, prompting him to provide emotional support through frequent communication.
The author and David hold deep gratitude for the rekindled friendship with Mike, despite its brevity before his passing.
The use of technology, particularly Facebook, is seen as a positive tool for reconnecting and staying in touch with old friends.
David's poem conveys a sense of nostalgia and the belief that time and distance cannot diminish true friendship.
The author suggests that readers who are hurting may find solace in similar acts of remembrance and connection.

A Farewell Tribute to a Lifelong Friend

A short poem by my husband, written about his friend who recently passed away from cancer

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

My husband, David, has such a tender heart. It’s one of the things that I value most about him.

A few months ago, after having no communication with his childhood friend, Mike, for many years, they reconnected on Facebook.

That’s when David learned that Mike had cancer. It broke David’s heart.

From that moment, every chance he had, he wrote emails, sent text messages, and FaceBook phoned Mike, encouraging him and his beautiful wife, Julie, as often as he could.

And we prayed for him.

Mike was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2021 and underwent more than 40 chemotherapy treatments. He remained hopeful until the very end — simply taking life one day at a time.

Julie texted David on October 27th, letting him know that Mike had passed.

While deeply saddened, David was so thankful for those last few months with the friend he went to school with, played with, and even worked with for a time.

With us in Texas and Julie and their family in England, there was no way David could attend his memorial service.

He wrote the following poem and sent it to Julie the night before Mike was laid to rest.

In Memory of My Friend, Mike

A memory of a childhood friend, Playing until the day’s end. The days seemed long, not wanting to end With Mike, my childhood friend.

Friends at school always Until the very last day. Books put away after years of school days, We head into a new life, “The Work Day.”

Once we worked at the same place, Making money, in the rat race. Families to feed, and bills to pay, But still friends with things to say.

Years passed with no connect, But we met in town to reconnect. “How’s things with you,” the conversation goes. “Work, family, all that stuff — you know how it goes.”

Many years passed, a new reconnect. Much older, work days are over. Although miles apart, just a phone call away. Facebook has saved the day!

Families are grown, grandkids now. Remembering the past, “What’s happening now?” Mike has a dog, and a Brown Bess too! Texas history, he’s looking into.

Mike, a childhood friend, Became my lifelong friend. Time and distance have no bounds — Forever in my thoughts, his echo resounds.

Rest in peace, my forever friend. — David

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