YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH RELATIVES WHEN YOU NEED THEM.

When my brother-in-law John lay dying in the hospital, the whole family rallied and came together for him, dropping what they were doing and rushing in to give aid and comfort to his immediate family. Those of us who live on Long Island came to give their support and love to John and pray for him, shocked that he was turning for the worse and so suddenly.

My nephew Chris and his wife Kim, my niece Annmarie left her two little babies with her husband Greg and lent her comfort too. It would have made not only John happy to know that he is indeed loved, but Grandpa too, his grandchildren making their effort to show family unity.

But there were other members of the family, you might call them friends, we call them family, who came. There was Lenny and Maria, who lived next door, who have shared all their lives in Sayville, and all there is in their lives with Theresa and John.

Lenny in particular, did so much during and after the death of John, making it so much easier for the family as a whole, showing what friendship, or should I say kinship is all about.

Then there were those that rushed in from out of town, the last minute, interrupting their lives for something most important, sharing their support for some special people. There are my nieces and nephews Kathie from San Diego and Jean-Marie, and Marc from Connecticut, and of course my two boys from LA and Purchase both asking how everyone was holding up and making plans.

John's last vacation in Cape May

There is a place called heaven, a place I don’t know if I’ll ever see, but I know John will see, and all the people who demonstrated that particular love and kindness that that particular understanding of what family is all about will all meet one day. It is in times like these that I am proudest my whole family.

A special 'Thanks' to Dr. Kevin Manning TLW's brother and his beautiful wife Sara for reaching across and helping John and Theresa have a wonderful vacation this past summer in Cape May, NJ, it was their last ever together.