There's a guy at work, nicknamed Bud. About 42, nice guy, gets along with people, worked here several years.
Has a wife, two kids, maybe aged 7 and 10.

He just found out he has stage IV pancreatic cancer.

He's expecting to be dead in six weeks.

Needless to say, his family has imploded while he is in the hospital getting many of his nerves deadened to stand the pain he's started to feel while he is still alive.

At the office, we sent him a couple gifts, and we are setting up a books-on-tape account for him, for whatever he wants to hear.

We are also donating leave so that when his sick leave runs out, he can use that, and his family can receive unused leave/vacation as cash for the future.

Years ago, I talked to Stephan Scharf, who was a Jewish VP at Chrysler and a survivor of the Holocaust at age 15. He told me that the day his camp was liberated by the Allies, he had the idea that a whole new exciting life was unfolding for him.

Bud will never see that:
No kids' graduations
No kids' weddings
No grandchildren
No retirement
No ball games
No nothing

The usual sarcastic smarta$$es at work are silent.
What would they say? What could they say?


This situation has made a lot of people here very thoughtful.

__________________
Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
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