Early in June 2011, David and I were called to Washington state to be with David's brother, Dale, who was dying of lung cancer.

Thanks to David's sister, Rosa, we were able to take a flight quickly and at little cost. When we got to the hospice in Lakewood, Rosa, and David's other sister, Darlene, was there. Dale's girlfriend was there as well. Dale was close to the end by the time we got there and was only able to acknowledge his brother's presence. David and I went to a motel to get a little sleep while Darlene stayed with Dale. By the time we had returned, Dale had passed away. I believe that Dale hung on just long enough to say goodbye to David. They had been texting multiple times a day for a couple of years by the time Dale died and had become very close. David was heartbroken when his brother died.

This photo was taken after we completed burial arrangements for Dale. David and I went to Mt Rainier with Darlene and Rosa and we all enjoyed getting to know each other while on the trip. David had never met Rosa (a story for a different time) and he and Darlene hadn't seen each other since their father's funeral in 2003 so this was a very good time for him.

PS: Dale's girlfriend was pregnant at the time. Now Dale has a little daughter!