Memories

Sometime we only have memories and the strangest things sometimes set them off. My dad's favorite brother is dying, my dad has been dead for over 20 years, I miss him, and when I would see or talk to my Uncle it gave me a reassurance of my dad. They were two very different men, my dad was always doing stuff with us kids and was very much a family man, my Uncle liked doing stuff with his friends and was more selfish that way. My Uncle was an extrovert and my dad was shy, and quiet, he was slow to anger but then it would be over, he never held a grudge. I used to love when my Aunt and Uncle would stop over, my Aunt wore high heels and Uncle Ray would wear a suit, it was very 50's ish. I would gaze upon them in envy of being an adult. My Aunt has passed quite a few years ago, she was my favorite Aunt, and now my Uncle is dying. Diabetes runs rampant in my dad's side of the family. All of my Uncles, and one Aunt have diabetes and four of them dyed because of complications of it. My grandparents were literally taken piece by piece by diabetes, a foot, a calf and leg, treatment has come a long way but it is still a devastating disease. They are not doing dialysis on my Uncle any more and he should die within the week, it is plain as that, a fact, a week. Now we wait. All the calls have been made, but nothing will prepare the family for the final call. My dad came to visit Uncle Ray about a week ago, my dad and my Aunt Marian, my Uncle told his daughter they were there, they are waiting, maybe this is a premonition. My dad had told me his Mom and dad came to visit him about a week before he died. Maybe this is the way to make dying less scary, fear of the unknown. Being reunited with loved ones that left ahead of you. So we wait...I am sad, it will hurt it is our loss, but he will be out of misery, and with his family. He will be telling jokes and making stupid balloon animals, riding some sort of motorized ATV or cycle or hunting, fishing. He will be home.