I have had some wonderful friends, too, along the way. Walt Drag who is one of the lead forecasters at the National Weather Service came by my house almost on the first day home from the hospital. I always admired his work and his passion about it. Although he works in Boston, he always makes it a point to come by when he is on the road to visit his family in New Jersey. We, of course, talk about the weather, but also life and people. He is always involved with charity events...running, walking, or riding. And when I see Ken in Boston, Walt, Arlene and myself make sure to have dinner together.

Although he wasn't a close friend, the late Rabbi Jerome Malino of Danbury was someone that I greatly admired. He was an intellect, but at the same time, capable of coming up with that Borscht-belt joke. When I was first diagnosed and trying to lay in bed, he would often call to see how I was doing while offering wisdom and humor. He was the one who said to me, "It is much better to live one's life as an optimist and be wrong than a pessimist and be right." I always remind myself of that.

Then, there are my new neighbors who have become great friends. I moved to our current home in late 2003. From the beginning, I realized that this was a special neighborhood. Edna and Jerry are in Florida half the year, but during the other half, they become very much part of our family. Jerry is a talented engineer who may be in his 80s, but never fails to come over to help repair a weathered sea wall or a leaky roof. And Edna has just about adopted Arlene. Then, Mike and Ellie who live two houses away are two of the warmest people you could ever know. They run a very successful printing business which they started on a shoe string while in college. And then, there is R.J. across the street. He comes out and helps us carry groceries, or just about anything that Jerry can't do for us around the house.

I know that I could write this Thank You for many more pages. This entire web page was put together by WTNH web master, Jeff Bailey, on his own free time, and I keep bothering him about every aspect of it. A day hardly passes without somebody, sometimes a complete stranger, extending a warm hand to me. It has been that kindness which has buoyed me and lifted my spirits during these 10 years. That is why I often feel that I am the luckiest person alive.