just dandy...

So my uncle died.

He was out at Taronga Zoo with his lil grand-nieces and nephews when all of a sudden he fell, and opened his head up... He came to a few minutes later and then was completely out. He was transported to Royal North Shore Hospital where the Drs did everything they could, but unfortunately was not revivable so essentially was brain dead. He was kept on life support until relos from Melbourne could come and say their last goodbyes.

The funeral was last Thursday and he was cremated on Friday. He is the first of my direct relatives to pass away, although my grandfather has been a vegetable (he had a stroke) for the last 10+ years, he's still kicking. In some ways I think my uncle was rather lucky, looking at my grandfather I can't imagine what a hell he would be going through, able to hear and think, but have absolutely no control of his body otherwise. Not to mention the toll it's been on our family.

Of course when someone you know dies, you think of your own mortality, and of the ones you love. For me there was only one thing that came to mind - how I would like to be buried. Being the only (seriously) devout Christian in my extended family of buddhists, I hope I do get a Catholic funeral service and not some Asian style one that the elder in my family enforces (that's assuming I'm not the said elder lol) though I'm sure my own kids will know.

On a side note, I'm quite disappointed at a friend of mine. What do you do when a friend that held up to your own moral standings, falters and is now in conflict with those values? Sure, it wasn't THAT bad but that's how it starts, you edge closer and closer until you look at yourself and realise that you've gone too far. I've already lost a friend because of the exact same thing. I don't want to lose this one...