Goodbye, my uncle

I found out yesterday that a beloved relative, one who has been like an uncle to me, just passed away in his sleep. His illness finally took him. I'm glad that, at least, at the last moments, it took him peacefully.

Yesterday, when my sister called to let me in on the news, I was sleeping. I was a little upset at the interruption; for some reason, my sleep had been restless and I slept with unease. When she told me the news, sleep instantly ran away from me as I screamed. Tears fell as if my eyes were a basket full of water. My mind reminded me of the people who would feel the pain of his death, more than I could, and the realization weighed me down into silence, as if for a moment I carried all their pains on my heart.

I still cannot believe it is true; it seems strange and unlikely. I mean, we were making plans to visit him next year. We were all looking forward to meeting with each other again, particularly after a long physical absence. Now, he is gone, leaving nothing but memories that, for now, seem like a cheap substitute. Another reminder that tomorrow is not guaranteed.

It is still so unreal. Death is probably the most frequent and constant thing, rivaled only by birth. But when death visits someone you know, someone you love, it seems like it's just your bad luck--that you've won a lottery from death. When it comes to the people we love, death seems like a one in a billion chances occurrence. It is the kind of lottery we do not like to win.

Life is so fragile and so fickle. One moment it's here, and the next it's gone, sometimes without much notice. The greatest thing we can accomplish while we have it is not success, riches, and other materialistic things; it is loving and being loved by those around us. When we are gone, all we leave behind are memories. If there is no one to shelter, lovingly, our memories, we fade away completely, almost as if we never existed. Love God, love people, and be loved. These are the only things that ultimately matter. These things are worth living for, because they are eternal--they don't cease to exist because our breaths escape from us. These things transcend life and death, as we know it.

I will miss you, uncle. I pray that you find mercy, peace, and rest. The memories of you rest safely in my heart.




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