A Friend I Barely Knew

I attended a funeral today for a man I had only met a few times. Even though he probably wouldn't have recognized me had he passed me on the street, Ken Obertubbesing made a significant impact on my life. You see, he and I were diagnosed with colon cancer at roughly the same time. When we met for the first time, he was in the middle of his chemo treatments and I had not yet started mine. As we talked about our shared circumstance, I was struck by his upbeat attitude and positive spirit.

As our daughters went through high school together, Ken and I ran into each other from time to time. We would exchange a quick word of encouragement for each other and then months would pass before I would see him again. I tried to keep up with his situation through my daughter but after she graduated high school, the updates came less frequently.

Last week I heard the news that he succumbed to the colon cancer. He and I had both just passed our five year marks. Unfortunately, his battle took a different turn than mine.

I can't tell you what Ken did in his free time, what his favorite food was or almost anything else about him. However, I can tell you that his upbeat spirit was contagious and helped me stay positive during my own treatments. So I count him as a friend I barely knew.

Thank you Ken.