This month is more of a personal editorial on cancer and how it's affecting my life and many others in the credit and collection industry. My story is short, my little sister Leslie got cancer last year at the age of 48 and started chemotherapy and was given a clean bill of health six months ago. The school that she taught special kids at in Pennsylvania, donated 92 days of sick time to her for her treatments and she used every one of those days. These were days earned by other co-workers for time put in and these days were donated to my sister. I would have to believe that some of these people didn't even know her and yet donated out of the goodness of their hearts to someone else in need. To those people I say thank you for my sister and for the kindness you showed someone you might not even have known.

 I'm pretty sure that this is not just a domestic problem, but in fact this has been outsourced from and to everywhere and no one person is immune. It strikes without warning and devastates the strongest of men with the same regard as even the sweetest of little girls. It changes our lives forever and forever changes our lives. It attacks non smokers and in my sisters case a vegetarian for 10 years and a dancer who was in great shape who lived right and ate and drank the right things, but cancer doesn't give you credit for trying.

I've been up at my sister's house in the last many weeks many times for a number of reasons. I helped bring her home from the hospital, sat with her at her bedside, cried endlessly about the time we won't have together and of course cried endlessly about the special time we spent together, sometimes kidding each other about how good it really was. Staring into her eyes only to see someone I barely recognize. My family has been coming and going and I've tried to be there when everyone else has gone to make my time more special to me or convince myself that this was what I'm supposed to do, because of maybe a fear I had when everyone else was around.

I have been part of the most miraculous rallying of friends and family in my entire life. Hundreds of friends doing the simplest of things for the family like, coming to the house once a day to clean the kitchen, do a load of laundry, or to make or bring a meal, or to say hello to my sister, or bring in or out the garbage. This house lacked for nothing I can imagine and was a prime example of the character of people that my sister surrounded herself with. An amazing outpouring of daily support you could not have received even if you paid for it. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to be a part of and there's no up-side or positive way to look at things once it reaches a certain point.

My sister has been going to school for 31 years and had just started her dissertation for her PhD and got sick. The school recognized her situation and in a short bedside presentation the President of Marywood University and the Dean of Human Development awarded her Honorary Alumna for her commitment to excellence in her doctoral studies, her dedication as a teacher and advocate for special needs children and her service as a member of Marywood's part-time faculty. The short ceremony done by the two mature ladies seemed to be as important for them to do as it was for my sister to receive.

After they left, she learned over to me and said with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes...I guess I made it huh. Well that was too much for me and I leaned in and kissed her forehead and said, yes you did sweetheart, you made it.

Well this was my story and why I've not been myself recently for those who might have been wondering. In an effort to reach out to those other people that are going through similar situations, please write me at Michael.k@creditandcollections.org and I will post these real life stories in our monthly newsletter for several months.

 Thank you for your continued support. See you next month.

 Michael Kolodin