Susan's Better Place

Susan White died this morning after a long, often brutal but always courageous battle with cancer. She leaves two sons and her husband, Rev. Tim White, who has been a friend for all 10 years I've been in Quincy.

I give guitar lessons to Drew and Devon, great kids. Actually they give me lessons in life and about how great it is to be a young person with their head screwed on straight.

I went over there this morning after hearing about it and I just didn't know what to say. I gave Tim a big hug and talked to the guys for a few minutes.

What do you say?

It just isn't fair. Sometimes I get angry at God and this is definitely one of those times.

But you have two choices. You either stay angry and bitter and let the darkness prevail, or you think about what Susan would want and you forge ahead.

I thought Susan would win. I thought that sonovabitch cancer had NO chance. She was tough as nails and she never publicly complained. She was really sick in recent months but you wouldn't have known it, unless you heard that nagging little cough and unless you knew she had her lungs drained twice in recent weeks.

A lesser person would have succumbed a long time ago. Susan, who taught at Baldwin School, hung on through sheer will and prayer power. I'll never forget the night much of the Trinity UCC congregation huddled in the fall rain outside their Vermont Street house and cheered Susan for getting through her chemo.

She walked around the house with that bald head of hers and we laughed like crazy about it.

She hung on for her kids. They were everything for her. She tried to pay me for guitar lessons and finally I had to throw her money back at her and I could see she had it figured out - her guys were worth it, but I couldn't put a price on it. They taught me as much as I showed them, which wasn't really that much.

These next days will be really hard for Tim, Devon and Drew, but the following weeks and months will be even harder. Realization has a way of settling in and gnawing at you and it takes a lot of courage and strength to work through it.

Tim has comforted thousands during his ministry, and now it's time for us to comfort him. Thank God he has friends like Kris and Shelly Bentley, and the rest of the Trinity family.

Susan - you are in a better place now. My heart cries for your family, and gives thanks for having known you.

I rest easier knowing your fight is over.