What of Death?

Today my uncle passed away following a journey with kidney cancer.

It was a short journey. A difficult journey. A well-fought journey. Many will miss him.

It’s hard to understand death, especially in young people. When my grandmother passed away in 2008, it was difficult, yes, but she had fought for a great length of time with Alzheimer’s. It would have hurt much more if it had been sudden.

My uncle still had years to live. He has young grandchildren. He was active in his church, a pillar of the community, an asset to his workplace. It’s hard to wrap your mind around something like this.

It would be nice if this were nice and easy. If everyone just waited to die until they were old (although old is a relative term).

Maybe this would be easier if we weren’t close. But I consider myself close to just about all of my dad’s family.

And what really gets me is that my grandfather, who just four years ago buried his wife of 50+ years, now has to bury his oldest son.

One thing I believe to be the biggest injustice on all the earth: no parent should ever have to bury their child. It is an unimaginable pain, to bury the child you have raised and nurtured with your own hands, their eldest child, all the more. The same goes for the children. It is equally painful, especially if you knew that they could have lived longer, smiled more, and laughed harder with them. My uncle had children, grandchildren of his own, but sometimes I wonder, what if he didn’t? What would happen to his home? What about his work for the community, his hard-earned reputation? Would everything have gone away with the Deceased estate rubbish removals? At times, I feel children are indeed a blessing. My uncle was lucky to have children who loved him and maybe will continue his legacy to work towards the improvement of the community.

That said, there is nothing like having a child nearby during a difficult moment. Their ability to feel empathy is amazing. Their hearts so big. They see tears and try to soothe them. They bring the tissues. They cry with you. They hug. It’s hard not to smile through the pain.

Thank you, God, for kids, because they truly do ease the pain when hard times come.