This is an IHeart podcast.

And we return to our American stories.

Up next, a story from a regular contributor, Brent Timmons from Connecticut, entitled Uncle Bud's Last Days.

Take it away, Brent.

I sat at Tinga's kitchen table, listening to an album from the band,

and reflecting on my life with my uncle Bud.

He lay asleep, wiped out in the last days of his battle with pancreatic cancer.

He had just been diagnosed on April 8th. It was

now May 10th. Tinkin needed to go to work and left me to sit with Bud. I had arrived in Louisville

on May 8th for a final visit and to help in any way I could. I opened my laptop to do some work, thought better,

and instead opened the story I had written about the first visit with our kids to Louisville in

2006. A gush of emotion overcame me as I read the story. We had eventually made three more summer trips to see Bud and Tinka.

Every one of them was a precious time. Since I had arrived, Bud had slept much of the time.

My intention to time my visit when he was still comfortable had failed. He could muster up his

strength to sit with me and talk a few hours each day.

I labored over what to discuss with him.

I wondered what he would want to talk about.

I let him take the lead as much as he wanted

and initiated some discussions about topics I wanted to discuss from a list I had made when he first broke the news to me.

Then one morning, that labor ceased.

I heard Bud stirring and found he had gotten into the shower.

After he finished and returned to bed,

...