You know there are many times in life that I think that my life sucks, sometimes I am correct and other times I just have to look around and I can see that maybe I don’t have it so bad! Certainly over the last few weeks, being tired of being sick and then having my work not go as well as I’d like, mostly a result of my own doing, I have not been enthralled with my life. But over those same weeks I’ve been reading Jonathan Kozol’s Fire in the Ashes:Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America and like I said I realize that I don’t have it anywhere near as bad as others have it. At least I don’t have to worry that those rats that are making a racket in the walls will stay in the walls, or that my ten-year old son will soon be dealing drugs, all coupled with a school system that is broken! This morning was another one of those times when I realize that having a cold and cough coupled with a job I may not be happy with is nothing! My daughter-in-law Missy and her parents are dealing with the sudden death last Sunday of Missy’s paternal grandfather James Marris. I’ve only met Mr. Marris a few times but he was a really nice man and based upon the turnout at his viewing this morning I’m not the only one who holds that opinion! Looking at all the pictures and memorabilia at the funeral, you see that he had a happy life that was cut unexpected short. 
Now it’s enough to have to be dealing with the death of a parent at any age, but the loss of a parent and grandparent are not the only thing that the the Marris family is dealing with today. They are also dealing with a son Will who is battling for his life today! Will has been fighting stage four lung cancer for the last three years currently he is in Virtua Hospital in Voorhees battling PCP pneumonia, Found in patients immunocompromised like himself. He is waiting to be transferred to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, where his doctors are, but it seems that they can’t get a bed for him! Yesterday, many Facebook friends and family were asked to call ABC-News and anyone else they could to get Will’s story out there and help to get him moved. This morning Will’s wife Nicole asked folks to stop because it wasn’t helping, but to continue to pray that Will will soon be transferred! Anyway, the point is that Will is only 31 years old with a young son a beautiful wife and should have a long life ahead of him instead of fighting for his life. In addition, Will’s parents Bill and Dianne should not have to face the possibility of losing their child especially when it’s added to the pain of losing a parent! So as I sit here and feel bad because I’m coughing and have to work tonight and tomorrow I realize I have nothing to complain about I’ve got a wonderful wife, four great kids and two wonderful daughter in laws! So my prayers go out to Will, wife Nicole, son Aiden, Missy and Peter, and especially Bill and Dianne as well as to people all over the world who are facing tragedies much worse than my puny problems! 
Whenever, I feel like this, this is the song that comes to mind is Phil Ochs “There But for Fortune”
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