And On a Sad Note

I got a phone call from Margaret today but I couldn’t take it.   Then I got a phone call from Uncle Jonathan, Margaret being his girlfriend.   I knew something must be up but I couldn’t take either of the calls at the time.   My husband got me a while later and told me Uncle Jonathan’s father had died due to complications in surgery today.

Tonight Jon came over to our house to have dinner with us.  In part we wanted to ask a million questions but we also knew he was drained from having one of he most surreal days of his life.   Hearing over the phone from a doctor he didn’t know about a surgery he didn’t know his father was having had ended in complications ultimately causing his death—and oh, could you call your brother and let him know because we haven’t been able to get in touch with him.

Following that call, Uncle Jonathan (honorary uncle but definitely considered family in our house) had to call his brother in what he calls one of the worse things he’s had to do in his life.   I can’t imagine because I haven’t been there.

We talked about all the complexities of managing his father’s estate, especially since both he and his brother are states away and not involved with his father’s affairs.  It’s a lot to find out and once that’s done, it’s a lot to do.   And funeral?  What did he want?  What needs to be done?  Who needs to be notified in his practice (he was a doctor)?   All these are unanswered questions that loom over Uncle Jonathan and his brother in the middle of having to deal with the grief of unexpectedly losing their father.

Our thoughts are with him.  My daughter expressed her sadness to Uncle Jonathan about his father’s death.   She said she was sad too.

The Big Boy Update:  My daughter has loads of eye drops.   The other day my son asked if he could help and both my daughter and I said sure.   He very carefully helped put two drops in each of her eyes and I told him I was so glad he wanted to help his sister.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:   Today my daughter had lunch with her Vision Impairment teacher from last year.   We love Raffaella.   She has been such a kind and caring teacher and a wonderful resource for us for all things related to vision impairment.   Raffaella coordinated the lunch and when she told us her daughter, also visually impaired, would be joining them my daughter was excited.   Her daughter is in college but she and my daughter became fast friends.   As they dropped her off, Lauren said she was available if we needed anyone to watch the children.   I can tell you this, I’m excited about having her come spend time with the children.  I think my daughter is going to love having her come visit.