Poetry

To My Uncle Bob...

I love you, but you were ready.

The pain is strong, and urges rise.

But I'll see you, when He lets me.

Your pain is gone, your hands are untied.

- paraphrase of Avenged Sevenfold's song, So Far Away.

My uncle Bob died a year ago yesterday, April 25, in Kaiser Permanente. He died of a mental disorder called Huntington's disease, which is basically a severe form of dimensia. I miss and love him, so here are some of my best memories:

Sometimes he would drive by on Fridays when nana and I were walking home from my school, and he'd pick us up and we'd roll three deep in the El Camino

We'd have wars in his pool up at his house, with water guns and everything, and sometimes Raisin, his giant black poodle would jump in the pool.

When he got really sick, and had to go live in a nursing home, we would go see him as a family (my mom, nana, sometimes Uncle Jim and Aunt Kathy, and I, but not necessarily Aunt Carol, his wife) and take him a ton of junk food like cookies, candies, everything!! Sometimes, we'd even go buy him a dozen donuts.

He gave me my first soda when I was eight (he gave me mountain dew) and I coughed and sputtered from the fizziness.

My mom told me about how when I was younger, he'd come every Monday to come and play with me.

One time, when he was in the first nursing home, there was this lady that was kind of hovering around us. He said the funniest thing, and I still laugh about it now. Here's what he said, word for word: "Watch out for that dingy old b*tch, she'll getcha." And that's just how he said it. Even when he was ill, he still had the best sense of humor.

I love and miss you so much Uncle Bob, and even though you feel so far away sometimes, it comforts me to know that you're always with us. Thank you for the good times, and thank you for being such a great uncle, brother, father, son, and friend to all those who were lucky enough to know you. I hope to see you soon, but not too soon. We all love you so much. <3