Ever since I was young my dad has been my best friend, as corny as that may sound, it's true. We did everything together, and talked with each other a lot. Although we got into the rare argument or so, we always made-up. But back then I never realized how good I had it, and I had a lot, but let me tell you the story of one that thing changed my life forever.

It was an early September morning, a few days after my birthday, my mom and dad were at the doctor's to see what was wrong with my dad because he had been sick for a few days. I spent the day cleaning and reading, nothing really exciting, then my parents got home, and they had bad news. They said after the doctors did a few scans they saw some tumors and found out my dad had brain cancer and he was soon sent to the hospital for treatment.

He got to come home every once in awhile and even a whole month in November but then he got sick again. This time radiation and chemotherapy were needed, and he couldn't come home anymore because car rides made him sick. When we went to visit him one day, he started yelling at me ??? yes, yelling. He started saying weird things and telling me to call my mom and she was in the same room.

The doctors told us to go and they would take care of him. Soon Christmas arrived and his presents were still under the brightly lit tree, and maybe it was just me but that tree didn't have that special glow anymore. Soon we found out my dad had a seizure and had to go to a more serious hospital, one that not many people get out of.

Around the end of January he couldn't even talk anymore, and if I went to visit him he just looked like he was sleeping, and it hurt when he couldn't say "I Love You" back, but I couldn't blame him. Everyone began telling me that he didn't have much time left and I knew, but I didn't want to know.

A few days later my mom came into my room and told me my dad passed away last night. She said she could see his breath getting shorter so she said, "Les, you struggled enough, you can go now, I???ll take care of the girls, don't worry." She could see him relax then he was gone. I couldn't believe that six months would take me on one of the hardest journeys of my life.

Although my best friend and father might be not with my visually, he is still here, and will guide me through life. So never take anything for granted, because one day it could be gone.