For me, death dates have the same meaning. Fortunately I celebrate far more people's birthdays than anniversaries of their deaths. But when I wrote the "Jan. 9" above, well, to me it looks like a big neon sign, not flashing, but bright as a nova and big as the sun.
And oh how I wish it weren't so.
Jan. 9, 1989.
Sometimes it feels like 50 years ago, sometimes it feels like yesterday.
When I lit a candle this morning in memory of my mom, the emotions of the 12 weeks between her diagnosis of lung cancer and her death come rushing back like a dam that's burst.
That's when it seems like yesterday.
Then I think back to all that's happened in these past 23 years having three kids my mother wasn't able to get to know and hold and love and take to lunch or the playground or everywhere and then it seems like a long time indeed.
A friend of mine flew out of town this weekend with only one to-do item on his agenda: Visit his mom. The last thing I said to him on Friday before he left was "have a good trip." But I wish I said instead, "You are so lucky to be able to do this. You are so lucky to have a mom."
He knows that of course, and the last thing I'd say is that I envy him that he still has his mom. But the truth is I do. And on a day like today, I feel it more.
So with that as my personal Behind The News, we start working on our 11 p.m. newscast tonight.
The lawsuits against Jon Corzine's failed financial firm have begun. Today a group of farmers from Montana filed a class action lawsuit against Corzine, saying that MF Global stole millions from their accounts to pay off the company's growing debts. The suit also says Corzine has a "single-minded obsession" to make MF Global a big player on Wall Street, and that helped lead to the firm's bankruptcy.
Among MF Global's clients were nearly 40,000 wheat farmers, cattle ranchers and others who "hedged" their crop prices by investing millions in the company's accounts.
We're also taking a look at some big news 'round here, our new partnership with the New York Road Runners and our broadcasting, starting in the fall, the annual New York City Marathon. We were the first TV station to air the race way back when, and it's great to be back covering and showing this incredible event.
And Nina Pineda tonight has a story based on her investigation and previous reporting on an equipment salesman in New Jersey. Today, the Bergen County prosecutor's office filed charges against Jack Abramson and his company, alleging he defrauded customers when he sold or leased them commercial restaurant equipment.
We'll have any breaking news of the night, plus Meteorologist Lee Goldberg's AccuWeather forecast (more than 1,700 heat records broken around the country during the first week of 2012 this with only 16 percent of the country covered by snow), and Rob Powers with the night's sports, including highlights from the Giants near-shutout of the Falcons in the Wild Card game of the playoffs yesterday. I hope you can join Sade Baderinwa and tonight at 11.
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