johnnystrange

"Well sit right down my wicked son and let me tell you a story...."


So my uncle is one of the coolest people I've ever known, hands down. One of those people who brightens up a room just by walking into it. We look a lot alike, and our names start with the same letter. So whenever we're around each other everyone starts to mix up our names. He was addicted to heroin for almost his whole life (he's around 45 years old now) but no matter how much he would screw up no one could stay mad at him because he's such a great person. So about 6 years ago he got busted (not the first time) and had to go to jail for almost a year. Then finally when he got out he started to seriously get his life together. He had tried with various degrees of success over the years but he always fell back into his old ways. He seemed to really be trying this time though, so we were all happy. He hadn't been out of prison too long when he met a girl at the place he had to report to for his community service. She was a recovering alcholic. He noticed her standing all alone not talking to anyone, and my uncle, being the type of person who talks to everyone, went up to her and said hi. She loved his sense of humor (of course) and they were dating before long. They helped each other stay sober, it was perfect. I remember the first time I met her, I thought "yeah, this is the best thing that could of happened to my uncle" Pretty soon they were married, and of course she fit right in with my family. Believe me, you better have tough skin and good sense of humor to fit in with my family. Everyone makes fun of everyone else all the time, in a loving way of course. She was really quite and shy usually, but being around my uncle brought her out of her shell, it was great. We all had some good times together. So, about a year ago her ex-husband who she had two kids with commits suicide. Her boys were living with him so they moved in with her and my uncle. Of course they loved my uncle (everyone does) and they had a little family going on. Then about a month ago my new aunt started feeling sick. When it didn't go away for a couple weeks she went to the hospital. It was lung cancer (she's been smoking since she was 15) It was too late, it had already spread everywhere, and last week she died. My uncle said he was singing to her in the hospital. It was the only song he could remember the lyrics to. He didn't even know what song it was. He told me the lyrics, it was Danny's Song. Then he said it was probably his crummy singing that killed her. See, that's my family right there. Humor is all we have. It's almost just like an act of defiance. You have to laugh in the face of our helplessness against the forces of nature I guess, either that or go insane. He told me this about the singing and I had to cry. Just the way he told it, not dramatic or anything, just almost like in passing....it was sad. So I went to the funeral a couple days ago. Everyone was just in shock. I mean, 45 is too young to go. Then of course my uncle is standing out in front of the church greeting the people who came in and actually making them smile! Don't get the wrong impression, he was sad, but that's just his personality. He makes people laugh, that's what he does. My family members go out cracking jokes on their death beds, that's just us. It's hard to explain. So that's about it. It was really sad...but that's life I guess. So that night me and my uncle go out to get some drinks. (Just soda of course, he's sober now) and we just talked and he told me stories about her, it was cool, he had me laughing. Then the bill comes and I start getting out my wallet. He said "No, I got it" and I said, "Come on, let me get it" then he said "no, it's cool, I'm gonna put it on your aunts credit card..." hahaha, my family's crazy!! I fucking love them.....



So, I don't know what the moral of the story is. I guess, just take the happiness when you get it.