Goodbye Uncle Carlos

Here is a picture of my Uncle Carlos with my mom in 2008.  He passed away on Friday, June 24 in the afternoon.  I am not sure of exactly the time yet because I have not been able to get a hold of Mama Neldita this week at all.  We are all sad that he passed away.  I am glad I found this picture of him.  He looks happy and my mom looks happy to be with her brother here.

Uncle Carlos, I will miss you.  I am sad that Paul will never get a chance to meet you in this life and neither will baby Lizzie.  He was a wonderful, charismatic guy and I had a little bit of a crush on him.  He was so incredibly handsome and so intelligent.  Sadly, his passing is kind of a tragedy.  His talents were wasted a bit because although everyone loved and flocked to him he held a certain anger inside and turned to drinking to console him.  I have good memories of him though.  I love to remember the way he laughed and he was so patient with me when teaching me how to play chess better and he was such an amazing dancer.  He took us all to the park one night and danced with me and I watched him play chess.  I always had a lot of respect for Uncle Carlos.  My prayers are with him now.  I think he is probably with his dad (Papa Carlitos) now and maybe even Mama Chabita (his grandma).

I am glad he got to read the book The Message before he passed.  I sent it to him last year and he told my mom that he was so grateful for it.  That it gave him hope for the next life.  It's amazing how closely our family has bonded over this.  Although he wasn't perfect, we all loved him and we have all been in contact with each other.  His kids Nina and Carl flew over there to be with him while he was in a coma and when they came, his heart started beating much faster.  Amazing!  My prayer is now that he will watch over his kids Nina and Carl and also over Mama Neldita and Tia Chatita. 

Aunt Carol sent me this poem which was said over Princess Diana's grave when she died.  It is beautiful:

Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there.  I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there. I did not die.

It makes me tear up.  I am also grateful lately to feel like I am an instrument in the hands of the Lord to do good things.  This is a new but great feeling for me but when Carl and Nina were here a few weeks ago, I spoke with Aunt Gloria and she and I planned for Uncle Carlos to come over to the orphanage at a determined time so that I could call Aunt Gloria's phone so that Nina and Carl could speak with him.  They did talk with him and seemed happy to have spoken with him.  I don't know what was said then, but I would have been so sad if they hadn't had that opportunity.  I am so glad I felt prompted to do that.  It's nice to not have regrets because part of me wasn't sure if I should but I am so glad I did.  Anyway, that's just a side note, but an important one.  

Goodbye Uncle Carlos.  I love you.