One can often feel like life is always on the verge of toppling off a cliff into an ocean of vicious, enraged sharks, or perhaps is balancing on a tightrope a couple hundred feet above ground during a level nine earthquake. You never know what’s going to happen next, but you begin to assume it won’t be anything good. It’s absolutely dreadful living like this, but it’s so easy all the same. Its sad to say that being a pessimist is easy, but looking into current society, the fact is undeniable. Living miserably is almost second nature.
There is always somewhere to find hope though. That is something I learned from my Great Uncle Buck. The year 2018 wasn’t the easiest for him. In January, my family suffered a great loss when my Great Grandma passed away. Uncle Buck was the oldest out of her many children, which now makes him the oldest in the family. It was a rough time, but I remember he told me that better days were coming.
A couple months later, his only daughter fell ill and passed as well. He and my Aunt Betty were devastated. I remember watching them fall apart together at her funeral. It broke my heart, and I didn’t know how my uncle could take it all. Still, before I left that day, he gave me a hug and told me that better days were coming.
My Aunt Betty had cancer for a long time. There was no curing her at her stage, so we just watched and prayed. Each day was a blessing. Her death didn’t come as such a shock, but it didn’t hurt any less. I hurt mostly for him though. I could not fathom why the world was taking everything away from him. I cried for the misery he must be feeling. He cried too, but amidst the pain, he talked about those better days.
Her brother moved in my uncle after her passing, and they pretty much became best friends. He was always much happier when I saw him with his brother-in-law. The family was happy that he was no longer alone. Everything seemed swell, but December of 2018 took his best friend away from him. It’s such a painful thought to lose the most important people in your life is such a short amount of time. I couldn’t even imagine what my uncle was going through. I didn’t go to the funeral, but I asked my grandma how he was doing. She told me he was waiting on better days.
To me, that is the bravest thing you can do. When you suffer so much loss but have so much faith that a win is coming. Great Uncle Buck hasn’t given up on love or happiness or peace. He keeps moving and keeps praying because he knows he cannot change what has happened, but eventually it will stop raining and he will find better days. Watching him has taught me that pain can make you stronger, and that even the worst disasters aren’t the end of the world. The world will try to destroy you sometimes, but as long as appreciate what you get and stay positive, something better is coming.