When we went to visit my mom before Thanksgiving, she looked at me and said, "I know what's going on. You and your sister and brother have all conspired together, and you're not going to let me be alone during my treatments. This is payback for me and your father going to every baseball game and drill team performance and dance recital and football game, isn't it?"

Well, in a sense, yes. My family was always about support and togetherness, and it breaks my heart to know that we're all so spread around the country that it takes any of us at least a half-day (if not a full day) of travel to get to Mom & Dad's house now. And none of us want Mom to have to face cancer alone. Yes, Dad is still there, so technically she's not alone most of the time, although he has had to travel for work a couple of times lately. She began daily radiation treatment this week, and she'll have weekly chemo treatments while undergoing radiation. We pray that the malignancy responds to the radiation quickly! Right now all I want to do is go hang out at their house, buy their groceries, cook and clean for them so Mom can rest and Dad can do what he needs to do. But God has me in a different place, so I had to come home to do all that for my family.

Still, I'm grateful for the example my parents set for me - family is about relationships, about being together and supporting one another. It has certainly carried through to my home today. We love being together. Yes, my son whines about going to his sister's dance and piano recitals - and she doesn't much enjoy watching baseball games. But they're learning how to encourage and support each other.

You've heard the saying, "Be nice to your children - one day they'll choose your nursing home." I'm finding truth in a twist on that saying: "Build good relationships with your children - one day they may be supporting you through a serious illness, and you'll want them there."