An Open Letter to Mark

On October 8, 2011, I wrote a blog entry entitled Paul's Spiritual Warfare that focused on my cousin's recent diagnosis of fourth stage cancer. Yesterday, January 7, Paul's spirit departed from this earth.

Once he had received his diagnosis in October, he went to live with his son Mark and Mark's wife Colleen in California. It was a very challenging three months as they watched him adamantly refuse the traditional forms of treatment such as radiation and chemotherapy, opting instead for alternative cancer treatments.

In December, Paul began self medicating himself by ingesting high strength hydrogen peroxide. Some research had indicated that this might kill the cancer cells. We may never know why his body did not accept this form of treatment, but it didn't. Once he went off the hydrogen peroxide, his cancer grew rapidly as his body was suddenly producing glucose again – cancer thrives on sugar.

Paul's son Mark and wife sacrificed immensely in order to care for Paul. His idiosyncrasies were a tremendous invasion of their home because Paul was Paul. What had been Colleen's domain in her home was now violated on a regular basis.

Paul had a streak of rebellion as wide as any I have known, but I liked him despite this. I did not agree with many of his cynical statements about our country, but behind that cynicism was his strong sense that much is inherently wrong in the USA today. It was that heart for wanting injustice to be corrected that I appreciated, even though I did not agree with many of his solutions. Some did not see or understand that heart.

Mark and Colleen modeled their Christian love by opening their home to his father. They have a deep faith in Christ that was well demonstrated during this three-month journey. I came to truly respect what they were doing for his father Paul.

Death is hard to cope with, no matter who you are. For Mark and Colleen, I think it was more like a journey. That journey is now over, and a new journey is beginning.

Mark and Colleen, thank you for doing the right thing with your father. I know it was not easy, but instead was exasperating at times. But the two of you resisted the much easier route to put him in a home for the sick and elderly. And I'm sure your example of Christian love was seen by many.

As the apostle Paul wrote, "What is important is faith expressing itself as love." Galatians 5:6
Tom