My Uncle's Passing...

I received word that my paternal uncle (my father's older brother, 96) has passed away.
They said it was due to old age.

The last time I saw him was about five years ago, at the funeral for his wife, my aunt.
That was also the last time he saw his younger brother, my father, and his other younger brother.

My father was one of five brothers.

The eldest of them was the uncle who passed away yesterday.

The second of the five brothers died in the war, so I never met him.

Then, four years ago, the youngest uncle passed away, and three years ago, my father passed away; however, because the eldest uncle was elderly and lived in a wheelchair, he was unable to attend their funerals.

"I'm the only one of the five brothers left now," my fourth uncle murmured when he called me with the news.

Hearing the news of my eldest uncle's passing brought back many memories, so I decided to write about it today.

It is a personal matter, but I would appreciate it if you would bear with me.

Although the brothers were far apart in age, their children (my cousins) were close in age, and I remember that when we were small, we would gather at the main family home (which the youngest uncle inherited) and go on trips together; the brothers were very close.

I was very close with the cousin who was the daughter of the uncle who just passed away, as we were the same age (I was born in July, she in May).

When we were little, we exchanged letters, attended each other's weddings, and had children around the same time, often talking about raising our kids and their school entrance exams.
When my eldest son was attending university in Tokyo, I would have tea or a meal with my cousin who lived there whenever I visited; she was my cousin, my friend, and a very important person to me.

However, that cousin fell ill with a serious disease (stomach cancer) and lost her life in the blink of an eye. About 10 years ago, we were in our 40s.

We had eaten together just a few months before she passed away.
At that time, she looked thinner than before, so when I asked, "You've lost weight, haven't you?" she replied, "I'm on a diet," but...

I was shocked by the news of her death and attended the funeral in a daze.

My uncle, who had lost his precious child, was heartbroken but welcomed me with a smile.
But my aunt (my cousin's mother), the moment she saw me, cried out,
"Why is it that Keiko-chan is still alive, but my daughter had to die!?" and sobbed uncontrollably.

My uncle scolded my aunt, but in addition to the sorrow of losing my cousin, my sadness deepened at my aunt's lamentation.
I understand my aunt's feelings painfully well now.

That aunt also passed away five years ago.

My eldest uncle had lost a brother in the war, seen his father and mother (my grandparents) off, then seen his own child off, his wife off, and two more brothers off; he was always the one left to see his loved ones go.
How much sorrow must he have accumulated?

I hope that now, he is meeting his beloved brothers and daughter (my cousin) again and having a nostalgic conversation with them.

The funeral will be held only with family, so I will not be attending, but I intend to bid him farewell in my heart on the day.

Now, the only relatives of mine—my uncles and aunts—who remain are:
My mother (88), my mother's younger sister (81), and the spouse of my mother's younger brother (82),
My father's younger brother (84) and his spouse (84).
That is all.
The spouse of my fourth uncle, who is also still with us, is currently battling illness.

The people who played with me and cherished me when I was small are gradually walking toward heaven.

As for my cousins, excluding the cousin who passed away 10 years ago,
there is me, my younger brother,
and 5 male cousins and 4 female cousins.

I am grateful that we are somehow able to stay connected with each other.
I think it is a blessing to have a relationship where we can contact each other and support one another when something happens.
I believe this is because my father's and mother's siblings were close.

It was a morning where I was thinking about such things.

Thank you for
bearing with
my very personal story this time.
m(__)m

「書いた人】

江村恵子＠夢☆相談室・ゆるふわ雑談会です。

「恵子さん」と呼んでください。

⭐つなぎびと⭐ 元保育士／
1種幼稚園教諭／終活アドバイザー／
終活ライフケアプランナー／
身上監護アドバイザー／終活ガイド上級 ☆／
心理カウンセラー彡

好きなもの・好きなこと💓／
家族、旅行、自然、家庭菜園、空、新緑、花、
読書、俳句、おしゃべり、カーブス

尊敬する人／マザーテレサ

リアルでは
「終活アドバイザー群馬サークル」
代表。


オンラインでは、元保育者として、
母として、終活ワーカーとして
「素敵に生きる人生について」について
発信をしながら、
「ゆるふわ雑談会」を開催中。


また、仲間と立ち上げた「夢☆相談室」の室長もしています。

Twitterもしています。 
Twitterでは、
特に自分で撮った花や自然について 
投稿したり、 
同様の投稿をしている人をフォローしたり 
RTしたりしています。 

Noteとも共有で投稿することも多いです 

https://twitter.com/mix8853

よろしくお願いいたします<m(__)m>

#Uncle
#Aunt
#Relatives
#Cousins
#Death
#Funeral
#DailyNote