I met one of my dearest friends when I was 13 and he was my 8th grade social studies teacher. Dennis treated kids like human beings, and not pests, and was the best person in the world for advice and the occasional hug (this was back in the late 70s, before such things were considered harassment, sigh).

We have kept in touch all these years, though more sporadically lately. We remember birthdays and Christmas, forward the occasional joke or outrage, but haven't talked much since I got sick last winter.

I just found out his son died (age 32) right around the time I was so sick in December. Mark had battled Hodgkin's for 5 or 6 years.

I just don't know what to say or do for my friend. I'd been afraid to ask how things were going, because he was never one to talk about it much. Knowing him, he figured I had my own stuff going on, so didn't tell me himself (there was a big article on him in my hometown newspaper, which is how I found out).

I feel so awful for him. Mark was his only son, the oldest of 3. I can't fathom what it must be like to lose a child. I just don't know what to do. An email is so impersonal and a card isn't much better. It's not feasible to go visit right now. Does anybody have any ideas?

Candy