Uncle Nick

Well, there is some sad news to pass along. I've been trying and hopefully succeeding in my attempt to bring some humor to my writing. I've always loved to write and I try to be funny, so I hope that translates on this crap. But on a serious note, yesterday I lost a member of my family. Nicholas Monticello, my great-uncle passed away from Liver Cancer, which unfortunately and fortunately only leaves two of my grandmother's siblings, Uncle Rocco and Aunt Elia. Last night, wallowing in sorrow I thought to myself, what a great family, what a great group of siblings. It is, like any Italian family, extremely close, and rather impressive, and it sucks that it took someone like my Uncle Nick to die for me to think of that. I absolutely adored my grandmother. She was/is my angel. As weird and cliche as it may sound, I still feel her around when I'm about to do something stupid or protecting me from bad situations, it's a weird aura. She used to call me her lifesaver because I once told her that she should go to the hospital after the fall that she took that eventually led to her death in the hospital. On some grounds, I feel like I was the one that put her in the hospital where she had the heart attack that took her life, and on the other hand, I thank God that she was in the hospital rather than at our home when she died because I'm not sure anyone would have been home to help her. At least in the hospital they were there to try but unsuccesful. I was never sure of the ages of my mom's aunts and uncles, nor did it ever matter. I just could always see and still see the love that they show each other and their extended family. My Aunt Elia is the matriarch of the family. Her love for her family, each and every one of us, is unconditional and great! Without fail, her cards for any sort of accomplishment are in the mail, right on time. She's wonderful that way. A simple phone call to my Aunt Elia brightens her day. My Uncle Rocco may be the best man I've ever met, along with my brother and father. Just a genuine guy, tells it like it is, and also loves his family and loved his big brother more than life itself. I know I'm babbling along during this post, but it is getting a bit dusty in here as I write about the loss of my Uncle Nick. I'm very happy that he's not suffering from that awful disease anymore, but I really wish that shit like this never happens. Everyone entrenched in the church say that this should be a celebration of life instead of a grieving time. I agree on so many levels, but man it really sucks that I will never see my Uncle Nick anymore. He will not meet my niece Kiley, not see his oldest granddaughter graduate high school, not be there when and if my cousin Stephen were to ever get married, see me get married if that ever happens as well. There's just something about an Italian family.

I'm extremely lucky to have known and to have been loved by my Uncle Nick (Si Gumba). I was lucky enough to see him last weekend and my parents and his brothers and family were able to be with him for his final hours. I feel awful for my Aunt and my three cousins, Nicholas, Angela and Stephen, and Uncle Nick's grandkids, Nicole, Jenna and Gina. He was a good man.

Sorry for the downer "blog." It was just something I had to get off my chest and get out there. Maybe some more funny stuff tomorrow, but I can't do it today.