The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture
had watched the kids grow into their own; our house was really filled
with a beautiful energy and a great deal of love.
Jai vowed she’d continue to be there for me and the kids. “I have
four very good reasons to suck it up and keep going. And I will,” she
promised.
Jai also told me that one of the best parts of her day is watching
me interact with the kids. She says my face lights up when Chloe talks
to me. (Chloe is eighteen months old and is already talking in fourword
sentences.)
At Christmas, I had made an adventure out of putting the lights
on the tree. Rather than showing Dylan and Logan the proper way to
do it—carefully and meticulously—I just let them have at it haphazardly.
However they wanted to throw those lights on the tree was fine by me.
We got video of the whole chaotic scene, and Jai says it was a “magical
moment” that will be one of her favorite memories of our family
together.
Jai has gone on Web sites for cancer patients and their families. She
finds useful information there, but she can’t stay on too long. “So many
of the entries begin: ‘Bob’s fight is over.’ ‘Jim’s fight is over.’ I don’t
think it’s helpful to keep reading all of that,” she says.
However, one entry she came upon moved her into action. It was
written by a woman whose husband had pancreatic cancer. They
planned to take a family vacation but postponed it. He died before they
could reschedule. “Go on those trips you’ve always wanted to take,” the
woman advised other caregivers. “Live in the moment.” Jai vows to keep
doing just that.
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