When You're Smiling

You may have heard, we lost a friend today. Dr. Mel Goldstein passed away this morning after a long battle with cancer. I just wanted to share a few thoughts about the man I knew first as a weatherman I watched on television, then as a colleague and ultimately as a friend. I'm honored to have worked with him and appreciate the support he gave me over the years.

People loved watching Dr. Mel on television in Connecticut -- his passion for the weather was contagious. The more active the weather, the more excited Mel got. Sure, we were going to get a blizzard -- but after hearing Mel deliver the forecast with the enthusiasm of a kid in a candy store, you couldn't help but kind of look forward to the storm! When it came to the weather, Dr. Mel was a teacher. He didn't want us to know WHAT was coming (rain, snow or sun), he wanted us to understand and appreciate WHY it was coming.

In the last decade-plus of his life, Dr. Mel was a fighter. And an inspiration. He got his cancer diagnosis and, if I'm not mistaken, was told he could expect to live 33 months. That prediction -- unlike most of Dr. Mel's weather forecasts -- was way off. Mel fought that cancer like a trooper. He searched out new treatments. And he was there for countless people dealing with cancer diagnosis in their families. "Have them call me," he'd tell anyone who shared a story of someone dealing with the disease.

And through it all, he kept working. And to those of us who worked alongside him, that was pretty inspiring. Especially working the early morning shift, it's easy to complain about being tired. Believe me, I know. Then I'd look at Dr. Mel. There he was -- talking about his latest treatment, about how he didn't get much sleep last night (or for the last week!), and how about much pain he was in. But then he'd get in front of that weather map... the red light would go on... and Dr. Mel's smile would be as bright as ever. Dr. Mel was giving the forecast, doing what he loved. And we were all watching and listening.

Today's Title: The song Mel would walk into the studio singing, more days than not