Truly, Truly, I Hate Cancer!

There probably aren’t any of us anymore who have not felt the pain of losing loved ones to that dreaded C word.

In fact, you may have heard those dreaded words yourself from the lips of your doctor, “You have cancer.”

My wife and I watched her father, Ralph Freeman, fading away due to cancer, and it finally took his life.

My three oldest siblings, Rita Dezotell Brewer, Robert Dezotell, and Paul Dezotell all died too soon from various forms of cancer. And Rita’s oldest son, Brad Brewer, died from cancer as well.

I preached the funerals of two of my best friends who lost their fight with cancer.

We said ‘goodbye’ to my dear friend, college roommate and long-time associate in ministry, Dennis Pratt, in Memphis back in 2019.

And we said ‘farewell’ to my dear friend and ministry associate, Fred West, in Virginia just a year and a half before that.

Cancer has taken so many from so many of us.

And then, just this week, the Shelbyville Times-Gazette lost one of it’s longest serving staff members, David Melson, to the Dreaded C Word.

David was my friend and co-worker, and he and John Carney served as my ‘mentors’ when I joined the team of writers at the Times-Gazette back in 2005.

David helped me figure out the new environment of a fast-paced News Room, and he patiently gave me the assurance that I could do the job.

David and John helped me muddle my way through every day as I learned to be a ‘staff-writer.’

All of my adult life was spent in full-time ministry until God had me change course, and I believe it was God who set me at the desk in that big building on Depot Street.

The Amazing Kay Rose was the Editor who hired me back in September of 2005.

Kay was willing to take a chance on this ‘wannabe writer’ and she gave me a job that I fell in love with.

Kay and David and John and Sherrie and Mary and Carol and Danny and Brian and Clint made me feel welcome in their News Room.

And it wasn’t long before it became my News Room too.

I returned to ministry back in 2008, and a new chapter unfolded in my life’s journey. I became a part-time pastor and continued as a writer at the Times-Gazette.

Then in 2011, I left the News Room, and became a full-time pastor, serving in two churches.

But I have had the privilege of serving as a columnist for the T-G ever since then. And many of you have been on this journey with me.

David may have left us.

Fred and Dennis and Ralph and Rita and Bob and Paul and Brad have gone on before me.

But each of them will live on in my memories and musings.

Your loved ones may have passed on, but they too live on in your memories and musings.

Cancer disrupts us, scares us, and takes loved ones from us.

But we have to go on living our lives, maybe learning a new way to live our lives, with new purpose and resolve.

My Heart is Full…Full of Memories and Musings…