Heavy Heart

Hey guys. Today is a very hard day in my family because of a loss we endured this time last year. My mom's youngest brother passed away a year ago today. It still breaks my heart when I think about him because he was so incredibly full of life and such a giver. I am writing this with tears rolling down my face because I still get shocked at times realizing that he is really gone.

My uncle was most definitely taken from this Earth too soon. He would have been 55 this coming April and that will be another hard day for us. Even though he lived in Florida, I've been close to him ever since I was born. He was always the fun uncle and the life of any party no matter what. Through all his health struggles he still managed to participate and enjoy my cousins engagement party in 2012. That was the very last time I ever saw my uncle alive and I regret not being able to go and visit him the months leading up to his passing. I almost didn't go to his funeral because I didn't think I would be able to handle everything emotionally, but knew I wanted to be there for my cousins who just lost their father at such a young age. I'm so grateful that I went because through all the tragedy, my family was able to pull together and become closer than ever, which is all he would have wanted. We reminisced about his short, but productive life and all the stories we all had brought happy tears.

The type of man my uncle was says a lot about him because even though he was suffering from horrible kidney failure and going through dialysis multiple times a week, he was still a very active part of his family and community. In our culture, when a bride gets married her mom's brothers walk her down the aisle and it breaks my heart to know that I won't have him there to walk me down the aisle when I do get married.

I know today is a tough day, but I'm so glad I have an amazing family who comes together no matter what to mourn the loss of a beautiful soul. Today will be a day to reflect on his short-lived, yet wonderful life.

rest in paradise angel.

2.27.2013