The Vow I Have To Break

Probably due to the wonderful health care for the uninsured, my brother-in-law is dying. By the time his cancer was diagnosed, it had spread and now he has stage four lung cancer. I don't blame our country's lack of health coverage entirely. If he and my stupid sister hadn't been looking for jobs that fulfilled them, they might have had coverage. If he didn't smoke, he might not have contracted this deadly disease.

After my horrible, last experience I vowed never to return to Texas, the place they live. I can't let him go without saying goodbye. My sister is the one I have problems with, not him.

I just got tickets for my dad and me. He wants to stay a few days. I told him I can't miss work. A weekend is all it will be.

(The woman at the Continental desk was very helpful. She found us flights that would allow us to pay for them almost entirely with my dad's frequent flyer mileage. I didn't know nice airline employees still existed.)