I'm on a 3 hour layover in Houston Hobby Airport right now, headed back down to Mississippi to join Erica and her family. Just after I left earlier this week, David's health took another sharp nose-dive and the feeling is that he may not have long. Of course, the hospice nurses, who have seen these kinds of situations plenty of times before, say that he may also have months left. We don't want him to go, but I'd be less than honest if I didn't say that that uncertainty is part of the strain we're all feeling.

David Reid has been the best father-in-law I could imagine having. From the first time he met me, he welcomed me into the family with open arms. I'm sorry that we won't be talking about movies and music for years to come. Cancer sucks.

(And, as I post cute kitten pictures or book and movie reviews over the next few weeks, please don't take that as a sign that I'm not grieving or that I don't respect David -- a) it's part of how I cope and b) it's not the Reid way to be serious all the time. As much as there have been tears around the Reid house, there have also been gales of laughter at dumb, dumb jokes.)