So my uncle passed away. God this one has been really hard. I don't think I've seen my father cry so much.
Also, in the midst of all of this, we got a new kitten. That's a whole story I'll get into in a sec.
The day after my uncle passed, a bunch of my father's family came to visit. We made a bunch of pizza, had some beer, it was genuinely a wonderful time. It reminded me so much of what makes me love that side of the family despite all of the demons my family members have. We show up when it matters. Whether it's to party our faces off or be there to give a hug, we have each other's back. It definitely lifted my dad's spirits during a really difficult time.
The day after that, we drove to my uncle's house to pick up some things and get stuff a little more organized. On the way, we stopped at a general store my dad had memories of going to as a kid. There was a sign on the table that read:
My dad knew that my mom was looking for a new kitten after our last one passed, but wanted it to be a miraculous moment. He intentionally tried to hide the writing, but my mom saw.
The woman working at the counter said her mother saved the kitten about an hour before, and that she had him in a cage at home, which was walking distance from the store. We walked over and met the cat, and he immediately crawled into my mother's arms. Everyone is bawling hysterically, the woman must've thought we were nuts or something. So, now we have a new kitten.
There are things in life that are a sign. My dad's cousin who was close to my uncle rode his bike the day after he got the news. He felt a presence around him as he was riding, and said out loud, "Oh, are we riding together?" I gathered almost his entire collection of physical media (my collection has now doubled if not tripled). Certain things I picked up I could feel him tell me, "You need to play this one, it's a classic."
I'm not religious. I am not someone who ascribes to a particular set of beliefs that someone else made up. However, I have always believed that those who've passed before me are watching down and guiding me. I've felt it when my grandfather passed, but even with my grandmother too, who I didn't know very well as she passed when I was quite young. It feels like a warm hand on your shoulder, a tingling in the ears, caring eyes on your scalp.
The cat feels like a sign from my uncle, which is odd because he was not an animal person. Perhaps it was from my grandfather on his behalf, doing it against my uncle's will because my grandpa was a wiseass like that. It might be his way of saying, "Don't worry, we got him." We haven't picked a name yet, but we wanna name him after something to honor him.
The funeral is in a couple of days. My uncle was a truly beloved person, and I have a feeling there will be a huge turnout at the services. It's going to be a lot emotionally, but I believe it will all feel good and healing in the end.