Numb. So numb.

Girls? My uncle just died. On Christmas Eve. That's just not right, is it? It's Christmas Eve.

I didn't know him well. I barely remember him, it's been years since I saw him last. But that's just not right. This kind of thing doesn't just happen on Christmas Eve.

I'm going to be okay, I think. This isn't going to be particularly triggering as I didn't really know him well enough, but I'm a bit numb with shock right now. At the fact that this is happening on Christmas Eve. As y'all can probably tell by the fact that I keep repeating that over and over again. But please pray for my family, especially my aunt and two cousins, who have just lost a husband and father.

On Christmas EVE.

That's just not RIGHT.

All my love,
Drea.

love you hunni... im so sorry and will be praying for your family... love you

Drea you and your family is in my prayers. Inm sorry to hear this sweetie. Love and hugs your way. Xxxx

Aww Drea I am sooo sorry to hear that. I problay have told this story before and i will say again. My uncle who I didn't know very well either died when I was 14. He lived in the US and I live here in Canada. We had just seen him in September and December 10 2005 my cousin(his son) calls my baba and says ujo John is gone. My granma calls me and my mom and i had my worker coming over that day. We were pretty upset. Then last year Dec 12 2009 my deda died so son(my uncle) and father die 5 years apart. Last year at the christmas dinner I almost asked where is Deda? Then it hit me and I almost broke out in tears because I had cried so much at the funeral. I didn't get to go to my uncles funeral no i stayed with my dad and had to call the cops on him. But that is in the past. So now its been just over a year since my Deda died. I was maybe going to go to the midnight mass of the Croatian church tomorrow but now i cant because im going to my dad's brothers house for christmas dinner. I know its so hard to lose someone around christmas or your birthday or name day. In Europe instead of Bday's they have Name Days and we had my great aunt's funeral on my cousins bday/granmas name day. Yep my granma and cousin share a bday sort of. 5 years ago. My great aunt and uncle died 9 months apart, in 2005.

Thanks girls for your support. Here's a little update, so I can kinda sort out my own feelings about this whole thing.

It's been hard for my aunt, unsurprisingly, but the boys (my cousins, my uncle's sons) seem to be handling it okay. I don't think it was as sudden as it could have been, because he's had a few strokes before (that's what he died of, a stroke) so I think inside they may have been suspecting it already, but it's still difficult. We cremated him a few hours after he died, then had a subdued Christmas Eve celebration at one of my other aunt's house. They brought his remains and put him in a place of honor while we did. We celebrated a Christmas/anticipation/memorial mass for him the next day at my other aunt's house. (I have a lot of aunts. ) Now my cousins have had to go on their way, so pray that they have a safe trip where they are. I think my aunt's gonna stay here for a little bit before she brings him home.

I myself am doing rather well. Once I got over the initial shock I regretted that I didn't get to know him too well, and cried a bit over that and at the cremation. I sang a song after we prayed the rosary for him, and it seemed to comfort my aunt. I have taken the opportunity to grow closer to the Lord, and my faith seems stronger than ever now in this time of familial grief. I pray a lot, daily, and sleep with the Bible near and sometimes read a bit before bed. Last night after reading The Chronicles of Narnia's final book, The Last Battle I had a very interesting daydream/vision thing that made me feel even more at peace about my Uncle and about my faith and future, too, but I'll talk more about that later. I want y'all's opinion on it, but I need to make some sense of it myself. Anyways, long story short, just about everyone seems to be coping as well as they can or better with this, and I think we all are feeling closer to God now at this time. Let's just hope that feeling lasts.

Thanks for reading this rant and thanks so much for y'all's support. I love you girls!

I'm praying for you, my dear.

I am praying hun for them and you.

Loves you hun
xx

Drea, sorry to hear about your loss. Love you hun.