Yeah, per email
below, it's been almost 4 years since Bill first got diagnosed with
inoperable pancreatic cancer. I made sure to go visit him every few
months just to see how he was doing. He left his job after the cancer
diagnosis. However, he has been incredibly upbeat, trying to live with
uncertainty and help his family prepare for the worst. I've told him
many times that he is a living miracle, and there are many more years
ahead of him!
We
made a special trip to visit Bill on Monday. His pancreatic cancer has
spread to his lungs, and he started the 3rd round of chemo therapy. He
was undoubtedly a bit depressed, as if he could almost see the end. We
talked, and as always, he was very reflective. He told us how proud he
is of his sons and how he believes everything will be just fine... I
don't know, there seems to be a force from above that will eventually
take control of our destinies. I don't know, I'd like to think
that, in some limited ways, we can define our lives... we can define who
we are and how we'd want to continue living.
Not
sure if Bill can make it to his 70th birthday... Life is short, life is
fragile, life is unpredictable, and life is full of surprises... I can
only hope that we all live a life without major regrets.
Cherish each day of our lives. Live the life you love, love the life you live!!
From: Pei Tang <tang_pei@yahoo.com>
To: Pei Tang <tang_pei@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2013 9:12 PM
Subject: My friend Bill
It's
my friend Bill's 66th birthday today. I felt so fortunate to be able
to celebrate it with him along with his family and 100+ other friends.
I
can't recall the exact date when I met Bill, but I do remember it was
through one of my graduate school classes in early 1990. He was a
patient, experienced professor, and I was a confused foreign student.
In
the summer of 1990, right after my graduation, Bill called me one day
and told me that there was a job opening for a Research Assistant at a
market research firm in downtown Chicago. In August 1990, I started my very first
job in my life. Looking back, it's been 23 years since I got to know
Bill. To me, it was a very LONG 23 years filled with many ups and downs
in life...
I
worked at my first job for about 5 years, then got into healthcare
analytics for the next 18 years. Like millions of working-class
Americans, I've devoted so much of my heart and soul to my career --
growing from a little Research Assistant to a Research Associate to a
Sr. Consultant to a Manager to a Sr. Director. I spent the next 8 years
being a corporate Vice President and then the most recent 2 years being
the Chief Informatics Officer of the company. Yes, it's been a long,
bumpy road. And sometimes when I look back, it all seems to be such a
big blur... Honestly, I don't know where I would be today had I not met
Bill 23 years ago!
I
have not seen or talked to Bill for the past 18 years. Two weeks ago,
out of the blue, I got an email from
him inviting me to his birthday party on 7/20/13. In the email, he
told me that he had recently been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic
cancer, and he would like me to attend his birthday celebration. I
picked up the phone and called him immediately. We talked -- about his
boys and my little Michelle, about his job and my job, about our
coworkers, about the past... I made sure to tell him how much I
appreciate all the help he's given me and how much his friendship means
to me.
So,
the birthday party came and went today. I tried to fit into his circle
of friends and relate to their lives -- over 100 of them!!
Bill gave an unusual birthday speech, deeply reflective and very
emotional. When you think about it, we meet so many people on our
journey of life, but very few of them can really touch our lives in a
special way. Bill is one of those very few people in my life, and I am
forever thankful for having him as a friend.
Life is very short and unpredictable, live and enjoy it fully. Live the life you love and love the life you live!!
