Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak.

Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

~ Winston Churchill

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
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Today NDP leader Jack Layton died peacefully at his home, surrounded by family and loved ones. His party issued this statement:

“We deeply regret to inform you that The Honourable Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, passed away at 4:45 a.m. today, Monday, Aug. 22.”

A few days ago Jack had written a letter to be shared with Canadians after his death: (You can read the entire letter at: CTVnews.ca)

Jack Layton, MP, Député
Toronto – Danforth
Leader of the Official Opposition/Chef de l’Opposition officielle
Leader, New Democratic Party/Chef, Nouveau Parti démocratique
August 20, 2011
Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.
…

A few additional thoughts:
To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.
…

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.
All my very best,
…

You will be deeply missed, Jack. Peaceful journey…

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
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Do you feel like Atlas, carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders?

With all the terrifying and tumultuous world events and financial crises, it’s easy to feel that way. Yes, keeping up with the news these days can be quite upsetting…and heavy.

My siblings and I grew up with either radio or TV news as a regular pastime. The idea was to keep informed of worldly events and spark debate to keep us thinking. So I love watching the news (sometimes to the dismay of my teenagers and hubby – “You’re watching the news again!”)

Recently my sixteen-year-old daughter and fourteen-year-old son sat beside me and watched the news with me—dare I say I was thrilled?! And on occasion my hubby will watch the news with me…but never in the evening because it elevates his blood pressure and makes it hard for him to sleep (and being an on-air personality he definitely needs his shut-eye so he can be up at 4:30AM weekdays).

So in my household we are acutely aware of maintaining a healthy balance between staying well informed and being emotionally (and physically) healthy.

Ask yourself if you are learning anything from the newscast; otherwise turn it off if you find you are getting emotionally wrapped up in “bad stuff”.

Are you anxious and worried and holding on to images of disaster and despair? Do you feel like weeping?

If so, try wading through the Internet and reading headlines instead—choose what you want to read or skip.

And take time for downtime before sleeping…watch a full moon climb through the sky (we had a full moon a few days ago)…enjoy the stars (my son has an app that shows him and tells him what the constellations are)…now tell me what a gloriously gorgeous planet we inhabit. How lucky we are to be here!

Yes, there is destruction and despair all around, but just for a moment breathe in the beauty all around you.

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
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What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

~Steven Wright

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James

Loving memories never die

As years roll on and days pass by.

In our hearts a memory is kept

Of the ones we love and will never forget.

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
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I recently attended a family wedding (that of my husband’s first cousin) and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was a beautiful indoor ceremony with a delightful golf course setting…the course and gardens were visible through floor-to-ceiling windows.

As I witnessed the blending of two cultures, I was oblivious to the rain falling outside.

The food was wonderful…and it was such a delight to meet new people and revisit with familiar faces.

When the father of the bride gave his speech in Chinese, without listening to the words of the translator I could easily see the love and pride he was expressing for his daughter. The same was evident when, in English, the father of the groom welcomed his new daughter-in-law. Both men expressed such genuine affection and, having experienced the death of my father last year, I marveled at how lucky the bride was to have both those men in her life.

And I have to admit…during the bride/groom parent dance I was thinking about how much I missed my father.

When a parent passes away there are always beautiful reminders of treasured memories…of a lasting relationship that lives on in spirit.

Cheers to the new couple.

And much love to my departed father. (Miss ya so much Dad!)

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
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Sending thoughts and prayers out to Canada’s NDP leader, 61-year-old Jack Layton, who is now taking a leave of absence to receive treatment for the new cancer his doctor’s found in him last week.

“I will beat this new cancer and I will be back …” he said today.

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
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To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace.

~Milan Kundera

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
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TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James

Henry, Thanks for passing this on:

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.

She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids.”

“No seriously,” I asked.

I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this ‘time machine’ as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

She concluded her speech by courageously singing ‘The Rose.’

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those months ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.

These words have been passed along in loving memory of Rose: REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. WE MAKE A LIVING BY WHAT WE GET. WE MAKE A LIFE BY WHAT WE GIVE.

~Author Unknown

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
~J. Lubbock

I recall the days of yesteryear when, as a wee child, I would lie on the grass and gaze up at the clouds with my much-older sister, Cindy.

As they floated past, we’d distinguish imaginary shapes of objects…each of us trying to outdo the other with absurdity in description…a tradition I continued with my children.

Ah, the joys of summer!

Let your imagination and dreams soar!

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James