Dedication
Cancer.
The word strikes dread into our very souls as nothing has, since the spread of the Black death. Almost no one has been unaffected by this vile disease, and everyone I know either has had a relative who contracted it, or known someone who has.
I am, therefore, dedicating this book to those who I have lost, both family and friends, and particularly to my mother and my best friend, both taken before their time, both remembered for their courage, guidance, love, and inspiration.
Mrs. Freda G. Schrecengost
Mr. David Guthrie
I would also, in a roundabout way, dedicate it to all who have suffered in cancer‘s cruel grip.
You see, it’s time we brought an end to all of this, and kill this scourge of the earth, once and for all. So, I am pledging 25% of my royalties for the sale of this book to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
I chose St. Jude for several reasons:
1. It was started in 1962 by one of the best entertainers of all time, Mr. Danny Thomas.
2. Its focus is on children.
3. No family pays the hospital one thin dime for any treatments their child has received.
4. It receives very high marks in regards to using any and all donations in the manner in which they were intended.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is a cause I feel proud to support.
If you are curious about this fine organization, you can read more about it on their site:
http://www.stjude.org/
Thank you, and God bless…
Thomas Rydder
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When I originally wrote this, I was grieving over the death of my dear friend David. He was 57, and enjoying life as he never had before. My mother, well, she was an inspiration. At 78, she was maintaining her own house, grocery shopping, walking up and down a steep driveway to get the mail, and showing no signs of slowing down. Anyone reading this can likely tell similar stories. But mine goes one step further.
I spent much of my young adult life in the sun, both as a land surveyor and sun worshiper on the beaches of Charleston. Now, I’ve gone through a series of freezing sessions for pre-cancerous spots on my face, and I have to remain ever-watchful. Two weeks ago, something else showed up. A spot on my forehead that turned out to be Basal-cell carcinoma – a mild form of skin cancer. Now, let me tell you – when you hear “cancer”, all the other words and phrases like “mild”, “easily treated”, and “rarely deadly” fade into more or less insignificance. It’s sobering, and although they took it out easily, and I’m free of any threat, now my whole attitude has changed on this damned disease. First it took my family, then my friends, but now it’s trying for me.
Now, it’s personal…
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Thomas Rydder 