My father-in-law, Bill Rarick, with my husband, leaning against their boat before a fishing trip. Circa 1991

I was once at a conference where the attendees were asked to turn to a stranger sitting next to them and tell them a story that’s told and retold in their family about a family member. I turned to Lisa Watson and told her the following story.

Before heading into surgery for testicular cancer my father-in-law said to the nurse, “I sure wish I would have bought that boat.”

“What boat’s that?” the nurse asked politely. Continue reading →