How sad. Earl Woods (Tiger's dad) has passed away. I can well relate to the story -- he had cancer in 1998, was treated, things seemed fine, cancer returned in 2004, cancer killed him. My Mom had cancer in 2002, was treated, it returned at the start of 2005, she was killed by it in just 12 weeks. Mom died at 63. Earl died at the age of 74. I'm happy for him that he had a few more year with his family. 74 doesn't feel like you've been robbed as much as 63 -- but who am I to judge?

I look at obituaries and think anyone who made it past 63 is a lucky bastard. How nice is that of me? I think -- wow, that 90 year old had a lot of years! 77? Not too bad. Go any younger than 63 and I feel really sorry for them. Kill someone with cancer and I feel worse for the family than I do when it is a heart attack. I guess it was in watching how Mom suffered for 12 weeks that I realized the cruelty of cancer. I saw the pain and illness. I saw it up close. I watched her suffer at a level that I would wish upon NOBODY. I would not wish that upon an enemy. It was horrifying.

The mercy of heart disease is that usually it takes you pretty quick. It fucking hearts, but then you are off to the big party (or the hospital and a recovery if you are really lucky). I've been there when my Dad had a heart attack. That sucks to watch too. I've watched my mother inlaw bleed out from a surgery gone wrong (repairing a gastric bypass). It took her 12 hours. I was by her side the entire time. Luckily we got a doctor to come see her after begging the nursing staff repeatedly and threatening to wheel the bed out of the hospital to find another that might save her.

The angel of death can be a tender merciful sort who lifts the suffering from hell on earth. I hope Mom is welcoming Earl today. I know they would have interesting conversations about how to raise kids. I've had Earl in my thoughts as my husband and son are golf fanatics. They both love Tiger. Tiger is in my prayers. Losing a parent is a horrible kind of pain.

To lose your parent is to lose one of the few people in the world who loves you unconditionally. Unconditional love CAN NOT be over rated. I'm so glad that God makes us to love our kids this way. To love with out conditions is to truly love. Your spouse loves you, but do they love you unconditionally? I can't imagine my life without my husband. I would be unable to go on. But does he love me unconditionally? Do I love him unconditionally? Is that something that comes over time? Hmmmmm......