I saw in today's paper that Jim Holston died. Jim, a hospice advocate among tons of other activities he felt passionate about, taught me by example how to be classy in the face of terminal illness.
When Jim was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he jumped into informing men about the disease. He was at an interview I was doing concerning Amarillo College and Hospice Care of the Southwest and afterward he handed me an article he had copied about prostate cancer.
It got me to thinking about my own health. But I marveled at Jim's good humor and matter-of-fact attitude toward his own death.
When I was diagnosed with cancer he was an inspiration to me. If Jim ever felt sorry for himself, he kept to to himself. I often think of Jim when I feel a pity party start to form and nip it in the bud.
Jim Holston was the perfect example of someone who lived with cancer, not someone dying of it.