Last month my wife Marilyn and I visited my brother Michael and his family in Arizona. We had a wonderful time, especially since Michael looked and was feeling the best he had in five years since first being diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening illness. He was treated for an entire summer at the world renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Michael confronted his illness with courage and determination. I believe that the support and presence of his wife, children, grandchildren, other family members, and friends contributed to the success of the treatment. I have frequently written about the importance of our personal connections as sources of emotional and physical nourishment and healing. The positive power of connectedness was and continues to be very apparent in Michael’s treatment progress. When someone very close to you faces a life-threatening illness, it personalizes and heightens an awareness of both the fragility and preciousness of life. I experienced such emotions intensely many years ago when my brother Irwin, whom I have written about in previous articles, was killed; a terrorist planted a bomb on the plane that he and other Air Force members were flying. In a split second not only were lives lost,…
