Uncle

I just learned today that my unlce passed away. The weird thing is that he passed away over a year ago in September. His wife--my aunt--told me in a Christmas card that he told her not to inconvenience other people about a death, presumably his. Apparently she took it to heart.

Now, this is something that I can relate to at a certain level--Don't make others feel obliged to travel to a funeral or send o-kōden. I get it. It's "just" a death and life goes on. I certainly wouldn't want or expect a lot of mourners at my own funeral. But this was a very special uncle to me when I was growing up. While I have not been in touch with him so much these past few years, the relationship I had with him previously was something that my aunt was aware of, I'm sure.

It is puzzling... and more than anything else, very sad that she would not have told me.

This Uncle taught me how to throw a baseball. He sat me in his lap when got my first taste of driving a car at 7 or 8 years old. When mom and dad said no snacks, he would sneak something in so we could enjoy a treat surreptitiously.

Anyway, I'm gonna need a ew moments... hours... days to process this news.