Let's Celebrate, It's All Right!

why do people I know and love have to be affected by cancer? I know this has been the theme this week, but we prayed for Mr. Summer tonight at church... and his church held a special mass for him. I lost my uncle 2 years ago to "cancer's returned" and now Mr. Summer's cancer's returned and it scares me. I'm literally on the verge of puking.

The latest is:
He's in Seattle for treatment. His wife is with him, his 3 girls are with family here in Kenai/Soldotna. Sometime tomorrow I'm supposed to call to get info to write to him. What do I say? It's so weird. I'm a former student who barely has anything in common with his eldest daughter(who will be a senior in high school this fall). It's just weird... I'm still trying to talk dad into calling and asking. LOL I'm such a wimp. I just have no business calling, I hate awkward situations. :( anyway... talked to one of his collegues and best friends tonight and he said that he's basically had 8 hours straight of chemo.... not sure how long but he said he's "out of it" most of the time right now. It's somewhere in teh tummy region, no one would elaborate. Mom figures it's something like his liver(though that's mostly because that's what happened with my uncle)... I hate this sooooooo much... Mr. Summer needs to be hiking in the Alaska mountains not sitting in a hospital room. I want to be able to walk into his classroom this fall and banter back and forth... I don't want to think of him sick... and I certainly don't like one of the major outcomes of all this to happen. I just have this icky feeling inside...

Not sure how much I've talked about my favorite teacher online. I know I've talked about him enough in "real life" so I'm sure I've mentioned him online a few times.

Mr. Summer was my 8th grade history/english/reading/homeroom teacher. It's because of his encouragement I got into drama and stepped out of my shell. While I was full of bubbly energy and creativity at home, I was rarely like that at school. I was weird. Mr. Summer encouraged all of his students to achieve their dreams. Not just to reach for the stars, but to touch the stars.

I first met him because of his charity "Cancer Survivors On Mt. McKinley" in 6th grade we had a walk for life to raise money for it. That season he also took a bunch of his cancer survivor buddies up Mt. McKinley. He was our "hometown hero" and is one of the most respected men in the area.

2 Years later he got stuck having me in class! LOL I wish I could say I was an excellent student... but my perfectionist attitude kept me from it. At that time I wasn't confident in my papers and they'd always be late. Not due to procrastination so much as I just didn't think they were good enough. Mr. Summer was constantly on my case, and rode me to get my grades up. Even with my bad grades he had the KCHS staff put me in every stinkin AP class. And it pushed me to apply myself and my grades improved in high school. He's a tricky guy! LOL

I have so many great memories of 8th grade and of him... from when he set his hair on fire demonstrating musket guns... to watching "Last of the Mohecians" to his heart surgery video(yuck). Oh and that great little trick he had during our ice fishing outing... that stupid rubber chicken. LOL

I still visit/bug him from time to time in his classroom and he somehow always brings it back into a lesson in life or how I need to further my education. All great stuff teachers give. This year he was the guest speaker for the KCHS class of '04 and did a great job.

Mr. Summer is the most encouraging, generous, and humorous teacher I've ever known--his classroom is a mixture of comics and wise sayings, class work, and junk! I've always looked up to him. And hope to one day thank him while recieving an Oscar/Golden Globe/Emmy/etc LOL

However, I found out today from one of the other teachers in the district that Bob Summer's cancer has returned. That's all I know and I'm scared for him. Please pray for his family... his wife and 3 girls... they're a great group of people. :(