________  ________  ________
   2019-07-01                                   /        \/        \/    /   \
                                               /       __/         /_       _/
   My uncle passed away last night. It was a  /        _/         /         /
long  time  coming,   he'd   struggled  with  \_______/_\___/____/\___/____/_
alcoholism most of his life and it caught up    /        \/        \/    /   \
with him a  few years  back, manifesting  as   /        _/         /_       _/
dementia   and  who  knows  what   else.  My  /-        /        _/         /
grandmother took  him  in  and my sister and  \________/\________/\___/____/
brother-in-law went to great lengths to make
sure they both had everything they need.

   My extended family is small, you  can count the  good  ones on one hand and
it's only ever those good ones we seem to lose.

   When I was a teenager  and  dad  had drifted away  after the divorce, I was
left with no father-figure and it was around that time he came to stay with us
a while. I forget the circumstances, I know he went through  a pretty horrible
divorce too  so it might have been  around then, it  doesn't matter I suppose;
all  I know is he  stayed  with  us for  a while  and  we  grew  pretty close.
Afterwards  we grew more distant but that's mostly my doing,  keeping everyone
at arm's length.

   I'm sad  he's gone  but also  glad, he was trapped in a prison  of  his own
making and, regardless of whether you  believe he's gone  to a better place or
just stopped living, now he's set free.

   My grandmother has been in bad health  the last few  years, too. We  almost
lost her earlier this year but she pulled through, now it's looking grim again
but caring for my uncle gave her purpose and kept a family member close.

   Now with  his  passing she's alone and that's what I'm struggling to carry.
She has other kids that  drift  in and out, she has my  sister and brother-in-
law  who will keep close, but in those moments when they aren't around she has
no reason to fight and one to fight for her when she won't fight for herself.

   I feel like I'm mourning two deaths today, one just hasn't happened yet.



EOF