Sorting of Lifetimes

This past month has been dedicated to not only sorting out my business but also the business of my uncle, who is still in my care.

As I move items from his home to mine so that he can comb through them, I realized that he has nine decades’ worth of life compiled into boxes. Within those boxes are other boxes of trinkets, photos, memorabilia.

As his overall health has improved, it has been a good task for him to keep him busy during the days. I do believe that each day seems to be getting longer as he is feeling stronger.

He has gifted me moments of his life that I wish I could put on video as a remembrance. But who would want to know? He has no children of his own. He hardly has anyone who really cares to know.

I feel like a child listening to the stories of family, relationships, war. I sometimes wish I had more time to sit and just be with him, but my own family continues to call for my attention. My business continues to call as well.

The life times he has had, especially the ones spent with his cousin, my father, who I lost almost 40 years ago, are the most precious to me. To get to know a little bit more about the man I loved for such a short time.

How I would have missed this opportunity if his relatives had sent him into a nursing home. I now get to enjoy them daily. I feel blessed.

[tags]nursing elderly, my uncle, memory of my family, nursing home[/tags]