moments that haven't yet been defined...

Yesterday I got some bad news from my little brother. It turns out he has a tumor right unxer the birthmark on his face. It has only been a day since I found out but all ready I have learned a lot from it. Yes I have been researching the condition but most of what I have learned is how people react to bad news. We tend to avoid it. Talk about the issue for a second and then move onto a lighter topic. I never realized how empty words like "you will be in my thoughts" sound when they come from strangers. Do they mean it or is it just a line?