Arrangements

Labor Day usually signifies the end of the summer season.  It did in Chicago anyway.  The lifeguard stations along the lake shore would close up the following Tuesday and the leaves would start turning justlikethat.

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, the Mexican Generals would attempt to take over Stolen Horseshoe (as evidenced in the photo on the right).  This is our sign that summer is coming to an end.  The other obvious clue is a lack of clouds.  The Monsoon is now a thing of the past and all the green grasses will quickly become gold.  At least here it’s a gradual process as opposed to the Midwest where the season changes as fast as you can turn on an air conditioner.

Ray and I had a nice holiday with the exception of receiving news that my uncle has been diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis and has been informed to make arrangements. 

Make arrangements?  How do you pack for a trip like that?

It’s hard to see your elder loved ones get old and face the inevitable.  Hearing my mother’s stoic voice over the phone as she was about to lose another one of her siblings is just a reminder that life is something that should be savored and respected. 

My uncle smoked until the heart attack a few years back.  I smoked too.  It makes me wonder what sort of damage I’ve done that I can look forward to in my later years–my later years that seem to be careening towards me at an accelerated rate.

My uncle Bob had has a nice life.  He got to see his children grow up, and a few years back, he became a great grandfather.  He celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary and made it to the family reunion last July.  His spirit and character will continue to live on through his children. 

The mesquite trees have brilliant red seed pods this year.  Ray said he did not recall them being so colorful, like shiny ornaments on a Christmas tree.  The pods also signify the end of summer, but they are a reminder that life is indeed cyclical and before you know it, the days will be getting longer again. 

The ultimate realization that everything in life has a cycle is a gentle reminder that helps me deal with saying goodbye to my uncle.  The sun sets and rises.  The leaves fall and the seeds grow.  When I think of losing my uncle, I take comfort in knowing that someday our paths will cross again.