- M
I can say I have been trying to write this for the last 30 minutes, but in all honestly I have been trying to write this for the last 13 days.
My uncle, known as Skipper, was the most amazing man. He was married for 32 years to the love of his life, he fathered 4 children who are the absolute best friends you could ever have. He loved animals, his family , camping, being outdoors and hockey which he played every Sunday for 25 years with family and friends that became family. Skipper was the baby brother to 3 who I know will carry on his memory by telling us stories, sharing pictures and home videos and continuing with our unusual inside jokes because to our family this is our normal and Skipper loved it. Losing Skipper has impacted this family but has also impacted each person who was lucky enough to have known him. His smile and laugh were infectious. I am going to miss it so very much. It is wildly unfair to lose such an amazing individual.
On December 13th my family lost a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle and so much more. Skipper fought hard. I know he wanted to stay, I know he tried to stay, and my god we wanted him to stay. Those 9 days leading up to this night were quite possibly the most difficult days we have had to face in a long, long time. We are not ignorant to loss and unfortunately have had our fair share of it as individuals and as a family. But this..losing Skipper..has been a different experience entirely.
On December 13th we sat in the ICU waiting room with 19 family members. I can only describe the feeling as a heavy emptiness that i would not wish on a single soul. My heart hurt, I felt a piece already missing, I felt my throat tighten, my stomach flip, my eyes burn. He was gone and as a family, we ran to each other and we cried. I cursed out loud and screamed inside. I was angry at everything in that moment. I wanted my uncle to come home. I could not wrap my head around any of it. I am still struggling to wrap my head around it.
We are a strong tightly knit group and I’m thankful for that. There is no way to really put into perspective the magnitude of this loss, for me personally or for my family. Skipper was the absolute greatest uncle, and I feel beyond lucky to have had the relationship I did with him. I will cherish it for the rest of my life.
My Aunt Lisa and four cousins have lost their best friend, mentor, cheerleader, coworker, coach and father. I wish more than anything they were not in this situation, I never want to see them in pain. The purpose of this campaign is to help ease the burden of this unexpected loss for them.
Any donation made is appreciated more than you can ever know. My uncle was a humble man, a proud man, and I would love for this to be kept as a surprise until after the memorial service to present to my family. If you have donated via the meal train, please please please do not feel obligated to participate here. The prayers, Christmas cards, sympathy cards, flowers and meals have been a blessing as it is. Thank you so very much to any who help here. My family is eternally grateful.
