Acts of kindness given with love become precious, treasured gifts

I had a visit with my friend Jim Chastain last week. Many of you know Jim from stories printed in The Oklahoman about his battle with cancer. If you’ve followed him on his blog on NewsOK.com, you know his latest post simply reads: "I’m still alive, but my health has really been slipping in the last two months. Hope to get some posts out soon, but I rarely feel like writing.”

For Jim, not to feel like writing is rare, but he wanted me to tell you how much he appreciates your interest and support.

He’s waging a tough battle and has help from hospice now. He is tired. He is sad. He is frustrated that he’s not finding the energy to complete a manuscript, though all of us who know him will not be surprised if he finds a way to get it done.

He also is grateful. Jim is a man who has loved his life and has a wealth of friends. There are longtime friends from childhood and college as well as many of us who’ve only known him a few years. We text, call and make short visits.

During our visit, he talked about creative gifts that friends have given. When I asked for an example, he related how a group of his friends had heard him talk about the generosity of his co-workers at the Court of Criminal Appeals.

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