An Unselfish Life




	I lost another family member to cancer recently. It was a beloved Uncle who always brought so much fun and laughter into my life. My Uncle Sal was always so full of energy and vitality. I don’t think I can ever remember him being sick a day in his life until the cancer came.
	I can remember his colourful language and loud voice, but I can also remember never being scared by them. I guess I could always see the loving heart and gentle soul that was underneath them. I can remember watching old cowboy movies with him. He was always a fan of the classic westerns. He was like those old cowboys in a lot of ways. He was tough and rugged but had an unselfishness and goodness about him that always made him a hero to the very end.

	It is sad that so many loving, giving, and unselfish people like my Mom and Uncle Sal have had to die from such a selfish disease as cancer. This disease robs the body of its health, energy, and strength. It sets up its own little kingdom in the body and slowly destroys all the vitality and life around it. In the end its selfishness even kills itself, because it dies along with the body it destroys. Some things do survive its selfishness, however. It never kills our spirits. It never gets our souls. It never stops our love and joy. And it never keeps us from our oneness with God.
	Someday cancer will be gone from this world, and it will be our unselfish and loving efforts that will make it happen. May we all be a part of these efforts. May we all seek to fund those working to find a cure and to uplift the spirits of those struggling with the disease. May we all live as unselfish and loving a life as we can and share all the joy, goodness, and oneness with God that we are able to. May we all honour the memory of those we have lost to cancer by living a life of unselfish love, joyous giving, wonderful caring, and beautiful celebration. May we all live a life that makes them, the angels, and God smile down on us from Heaven.
	Joseph J. Mazzella