Patrick Swayze - the Rugged Texan Actor

Patrick Swayze died at the age of 57. It is hard not to love and respect a guy like him. To me he was every man's man. He may be gone but he will forever live in my heart as young, fresh and vital as he was in dirty dancing, one of the best films ever made. Like the Sound of Music, I can watch this movie a thousand times without becoming bored. I just can't get enough of it. It is the same with Ghost. He was fantastic in Ghost and who was best to play the part of a man who loved his girlfriend so much that he wanted to protect her from beyond the grave. Who better than Swayze to play this part? He was a man who knew how to love and loved strongly.

Patrick Swayze was a dream man. Every woman should love and hope they'd find a partner like him. He stayed with his childhood sweetheart for 34 years. I think in all those years he has accumulated more love and life's riches than his years. As the saying goes it not the years of life but the life in the years you have lived on this earth that really matters. With a family in tact, a wife who loved him dearly in spite of his human frailty (and he had a few demons) and whom he loved and a career to die for, I think this easily sums up a fulfilled. Nothing in this world beats contentment. Patrick appeared to have achieved that through hard work in developing a purpose driven life. His father's death and his sister's suicide were events in his life that took their toll on his psyche but made him the man he was at the time of his death.

Aside from his films, Patrick Swayze, appeared to be a man who was complete. He did not need publicity, media hype or any such egotistical stuff that other movie stars appear to crave. He was fulfilled in himself and it showed in his confident stride even to the end.

Still ruggedly handsome, Swayze faced his mortality with pride and resilience vowing to live to the end and he did. Yet he was not afraid to show his humanity. He acknowledged his fears and wished he didn't have to drink from this cup, not yet, but he was realistic in his prediction about maximum two years from diagnosis rather than 5 years which to him was wishful thinking. Death is as much a part of life as anything we could ever imagine. Even though whenever it strikes at the heart, we moan and groan and the emotions feel as something we've never experienced before. Swayze completed his task in this life and he is on to other worlds to continue his journey. He is going to be fine. We need not worry about him but give a thought to his dear wife, Lisa Niemi, he left behind to grieve his loss.

There are so many people dying of cancer and we have to ask what cancer is? What is causing this epidemic? It seems as soon as they have one type under control another more virulent type takes its place and in spite of a billions of dollars spent on research, we are no where closer to conquering this thing. May be the answer lies in the environment. If we do not care for the environment, it will not take care of us.

In memory of Patrick Swayze, let us start taking care of our environment, speak out when it is abused and walk so gently upon the earth that you do not leave any footprints.