Bye, Good Uncle Juan!

He lived a life of anonymity, simplicity, humility, tranquility, and some moments of difficulties, for seventy-five years. 

He was cremated and we held a mass for him at the St. Alphonsus Chapel. All his love ones were there to honor and pray for his merciful judgment.

Nanay Pin, his sister, accepted his death not without much difficulty. She saw the last moments of suffering of her brother. She loved her by taking good care of him. Uncle Juan did not marry.

I remember Uncle Juan as an employee of the National Center for Mental Health (then National Mental Hospital). The hospital is just a walking distance from our place. But uncle Juan has a bike which he uses go to work. I would always see him going home after office hours while we were playing in the streets. But that was as much as we had related. He lived in the house of his and Nanay Pin's half-sister which is located right beside our house. 

When I entered the seminary up to the time I was ordained and assigned, I only see him whenever I visit home. I came to know that he had retired from work and was spending his time selling cigarettes and candies in "crossing" (intersection of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard). I believe it was the reason why he got sick with tuberculosis. His body was not able to endure the sickness that he lost so much weight. But he was able to recover. He stopped vending and was contented spending time this time in our house. Nanay Pin decided to take care of him because their half-sister and her husband had already died. It would have been a routine life for Uncle Juan but Tatay Ben could go along well with his presence in the house. At times he would just be at the firing end of his anger because he could not move with alacrity and always show weakness. All of us, specially Nanay Pin, were praying and hoping that Tatay Ben would accept and come to terms with Uncle Juan. Unfortunately, until the day he died, Tatay Ben still had some things against him. Later, we came to know that most of them were during Tatay and Nanay's early married years. Nevertheless, it would have been best had reconciliation occurred. It was not meant to be.

I was happy Nanay Pin was not so devastated by it. I would have understood if she was. But she was a strong woman (imagine, giving birth to eight children and rearing them well!) and already had accepted the fate of her brother even when he was still sick. I just saw that she wished she could do more for her brother. But Uncle Juan's life was meant to meet its end. 

By our standards, Uncle Juan may have not lived a full life. By our standards, he may have not been that happy. By our standards, he could have had more in life. By our standards, he may be considered a failure. But it is good that our standards are not what would really mean for our lives. God's standards are what would. Because he was a good man, God will be good to him. 

Bye bye, good Uncle Juan!