To the editor:

What an amazing community we live in.

I just want to extend a public thank you to all of our good friends and neighbors for their amazing support and love throughout the past three months as my partner, Michael Klim struggled through a cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy and ultimately his passing on March 31, 2010.

From the time we first heard the diagnosis, when the doctors thought the prognosis was good, until the time he came home from his last hospital stay on March 21 to be in the place he loved, our friends, neighbors and community acquaintances all continued to be there for us, and to offer help and good thoughts.

During this time, we both came to realize that while we knew we moved to a special place when we fell in love with Langley and Whidbey Island back in 2002, we didn’t understand that on some level our move here was to be in a place where we could be so held and loved during such a difficult transition.

I can’t imagine having gone through this ordeal without all of you walking beside us.

Of special note I want to thank our friends David and Scott for initiating a work party to build a ramp to our front door for the day Michael was released from the hospital that last time. Over 20 people showed up to help, some of whom we didn’t know, but stepped right up when friends of ours asked them. It was a beautiful reflection of the kind of support I think many of us living here might experience.

I also want to thank our friends and neighbors Jerry, Hal and Marilee, Margot and Chris for their unending help and love; driving Mike to chemo and doctors appointments when I had to work, and for generally just being the great friends that they are for both of us. You all held us both dearly, and kept me sane and fed during his two long hospital stays.

Thanks also to Mike’s brother Bryan for staying with us for those last 10 days of Mike’s life so that I had help and Mike could stay at home rather than in a hospital. To Mike’s sister Donna and my sister Paddy for taking the time to come and stay as well, to support both of us. A special thanks for Enso house and Dr. Anne Cutcher for being there if we needed them, and for being part of our support system even thought Mike did not have to take advantage of their amazing space.

I feel blessed to live in such a wonderful place, and can’t thank you all enough for your love and support! I know that I’ll continue to need you all as I move on to this next phase of my life without Mike.

Ned Farley

Langley