« Nonno | Main | The Smell of Curry and Wet Dog»
March 14, 2003
Rest In Peace
First of all, I'd like to thank everyone, friends and strangers alike, who offered their condolences over the past few days. My family and I really appreciated it.
My grandfather had a stroke in the summer of 2001 which affected the left side of his body. A few months later he had another one which rendered him paralyzed on the left side. For the last year and a half we've seen him slowly go downhill, so for the pragmatist in me, his death didn't come as a complete surprise and was almost a relief to see his suffering end.
However in times like this, it's hard to be pragmatic.
On Monday and Tuesday were the viewings. That side of my family is Italian and very large, so most of my time was spent catching up with my uncles, aunts and 16 cousins. Poor Angela must have met over 50 members of my family this week, having to introduce herself and answer the same questions over and over. But she was glad to do it, and I was glad she came.
The funeral itself was on Thursday, and I was one of the pallbearers. This was a new experience for me, and although I was honoured to be given that duty, I don't relish the idea of doing it again.
My uncle gave a wonderful eulogy, and the entire funeral was a beautiful, if not unhappy, ceremony.
But life must go on. I'm just glad I was here for the funeral, and not in Seattle yet. Don't ever let me complain about the long wait for my visa again :)