Yesterday morning I find out that I had lost a very good friend of mine to this horrible disease...Mr. Bobby Murcer. I met Mr. Murcer for the first time in January. I still have the voice mail he left me "Good morning Nancy, Happy New Year this is Bobby Murcer". We met for lunch in Edmond one day with my intentions to convince Mr. Murcer to work with our organization to raise awareness and funds. We grabbed our lunch and sat down at a little table in the very middle of the restaurant during lunch rush. With people hustling and bustling around us, loud chatter and laughter.......he looked at me with those very caring and wise eyes and said let's pray. He reached for my hand and he began to pray.
I began my normal introduction to the Oklahoma Brain Tumor Foundation, emphasizing why I had started the organization and about my son Cade. He listened very intently to what I said rarely taking his eyes off me not even to take a bite of food. When he spoke he said "so you are a Christian?" because I had just explained as I always do that I believe Cade's life and death were specifically so I would start this organization. That this is what God had called me to do, my purpose in life. We talked for over 2 hours that day, the rest of the world was drowned out, it was only the two of us there very interested and enlightened by one another and how God had used this terrible disease to bring us both closer to Him. We discussed how our lives had been forever changed and our eyes opened to the grace and love of our Heavenly Father. Mr. Murcer told me that day he didn't know what God had in store for him but whatever it was he was okay with it. He said,"Nancy call me if you ever want to talk or vent, I know how difficult it can be start a nonprofit or if you ever need someone to pray with you." I promised to stay in touch and he promised to help me and the OKBTF in whatever way that he could. He was focusing on spending time with his family and he was looking forward to going back to work.
We talked several times after that day......always briefly about what was going on with me and the foundation and about how he was doing and feeling. Last time we spoke was about a month ago I had called to see if he had read the article in the New York paper that was written about his book signing. The writer e-mailed me and I had sent some quotes he used for the article. I was very pleased with the article and was hoping he had read it. He said he hadn't seen it but for me to send it to him. He wasn't feeling so well that day and we talked briefly about it, I told him I was praying for him and he said "thank you Nancy I really appreciate that". That was the last time we spoke.
Although I knew him briefly, it was like being in the presence of royalty, very down to earth, kind hearted royalty. I don't know if you have ever had the opportunity to be around someone who made you feel like you were experiencing history in the making but that is how I felt that day eating lunch with him. God gave me the rare opportunity to talk and laugh with an Angel right here on earth.
Put in a good word for me Bobby and tell my son Cade I love him! Until we meet again....
Monday, July 14, 2008
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3 comments:
Yes, Bobby was a great man. I had a few conversations with him when his high school coach was diagnosed with cancer and they were both trying to help me find some Yankee tickets! He didn't remember me, but I remembered him from when he came to Mercy to see his brother, also a victim of cancer. That was back in the 80's. I still remember him walking into his brother's room, wearing these bright (and I do mean BRIGHT) plaid golf pants. I went home and asked my husband, "have you ever heard of a guy named Bobby Murcer....??" Being a native New Yorker, he came unglued that I did not get his autograph! But, to me he wasn't the Yankee player I had grown up with, watching games in Yankee Stadium; he was the brother of one of my patients.
While, the tickets didn't happen and that was the last "season" prior to his diagnosis. After his diagnosis, my daughter got to meet him and talk to him during an auction for Oklahoma City University, where she was the GA for the Volleyball Team. The auction was for the athletics department that is held annually. Actually, it was my daughter who saw the news come across the news wire Saturday and called me immediately. She (along with her dad and brothers) are HUGE Yankee fans.
I just think God needed Bobby in Heaven doing the Play-by-Play for the All Star Game this week. It is in Yankee Stadium and this is the final season of the historic ballpark.
So, while the Yanks are wearing black arm bands, I believe Bobby has his brother by his side in a very special press box, pinstripes on their wings, waiting for the umpire to yell "play ball" and the first pitch to come across the plate. I'll bet Cade has been invited to sit in the press box with them!
My mom has a glioblastoma and we have met a few times. My mom taught tori murcer when she was in 3rd grade at Quail Creek elementary and is very good friends with a very good friend of his and Kays. I just read the article you wrote about Bobby, it was very beautiful and a great testament to him. My mom was devestated by his death not only because she knew him although briefly and kept updated as much as possible on his condition but as another cancer patient following his progress. Since they had the same tumor she was looking at him I don't know mainly as a person who was going ahead of her in this battle. She would get put on a medication and she would say Bobby is taking the same thing and he's doing well. I'm getting this chemo and Bobby is on it and he's doing well. She was really upset to learn about his death, but wishes his family well. I don't know if you have sent this article to Kay or not but if you haven't I can print it and get it someone I know will get it to her and will greatly appreciate knowing the kind words you have said.
I spoke to my Mom's doctor a couple of weeks ago and he is giving my mom weeks to months. She hase gone 13 months now and with Bobbys passing 19 months into it I keep thinking is this the magiic number.
I couldn’t read this without getting a tear in my eye. My brother John (who is 14 years younger than me) is good friends with Bobby’s son Todd. About five years ago Bobby and Kay co-hosted an engagement party for John and his wife and I got a chance to talk to him. He was a very nice guy and you would never guess he was a celebrity if you didn’t know. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
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