Swayze's Courage Defined His Character

CLEVELAND - So sad to hear about Patrick Swayze's death last night, not because he was a great and beloved actor, but because he was such a brave and humble guy with a beautiful 34 year marriage to Lisa, the love of his life.

God bless her and his family.

Swayze, 57 succumbed to pancreatic cancer, the horrifying disease that he was diagnosed with less than two years ago. In spite of the immense pain that it causes (not to mention its grim prognosis), he was determined to live and enjoy life and all its little pleasures. He told Barbara Walters last January that he wasn't going to "chase life," but he didn't need to. His understanding of his situation and willingness to embrace life for what it had become as opposed to what it had been when he was healthy was a catalyst in his relative happiness.

I watched Swayze's demeanor and listened closely to his words since his diagnosis and I couldn't help but be inspired. Without question, his courage said a great deal about the wonderful person he was. He was realistic, yet optimistic and had an amazingly high pain threshold. Indeed, just months after he received the bad news, he plunged into filming 13 episodes of a new cable TV series called "The Beast." Though grueling and highly challenging given his condition, he pressed on with a steely tenacity that amazed his co-stars.

And me.

Swayze will be remembered so much for his acting, especially in the 1987 film, Dirty Dancing as well as 1990's Ghost. But, while I recognize that those were two incredible movies, I won't tether his legacy to them.

He was just a hell of a guy. Period.

Swayze's Amazing Will Should Inspire Us All

CLEVELAND - There are moments in life that can bring endless joy to anyone. We celebrate those occasions heartily, but often take them for granted. The awful times in life are the main reasons that we need to appreciate our every blessing.

Take Patrick Swayze for example.

Swayze, 56 is one of the most beloved big-screen actors of the past 20-plus years. As the star of such popular hits as 1987's Dirty Dancing and 1990's Ghost, Swayze developed a huge and loyal following. When word got out last year that he is battling pancreatic cancer, his fans all over the globe were shocked and saddened.

Barbara Walters interviewed Swayze and Lisa (pictured above), his wife of 33 years last night on one of her legendary television specials. He was brutally honest, tough, emotional but most of all...inspiring. The form of cancer that he has is the most dangerous and deadly. It usually claims its victims within a few months of its onset. Swayze has lived with it for over a year thus far.

"I'm going through hell and I've only seen the beginning of it," said the brave actor. He added, "One thing I'm not going to do is chase life." I was touched immensely by his frank discussions about how difficult it has been to live with this "silent killer." He described the grueling side effects of his chemotherapy and how the cancer ravages and inflames his bowels to the point of causing searing pain and blood.

Wow.

In spite of his grim prognosis, Swayze spent five months filming 13 episodes of his new cable television series, "The Beast." He claims to have an endless stream of energy and only missed a day and a half of filming due to a case of "the sniffles."

The Walters interview took place at Swayze's California Ranch where he enjoys riding his horses and tending to his 200-year old forest that only took 15 years to "build." His wife teared up a few times as a result of Walters' probing and emotional questions, including asking her if she's thought about a life without her husband.

I was nearly moved to tears myself. Watching this interview and seeing how deep and unconditional their love is for one another and how brave and relentless Swayze is in spite of his situation was profound. "You can either get busy living or get busy dying," said Swayze, the self-proclaimed cowboy.

Great advice for each and every one of us. God Bless You, Mr. Swayze.