@tyme my Aunt was the strongest person I know. When I was a child, she suffered from a stroke and lost the use of her right side. She couldn't remember words, and would lose her train of thought when talking to you. But she never ever gave up on herself. She would call people, "dolly" and she always got her point across and could have a good joke at herself when she messed up her words. I would spend time with my aunt and uncle over school holidays and they lived just down the road from Nan's. They had a shack on an island off of Tassie and we would go fishing and gather as a family. She and I would watch the boats on the water. She was so accepting and progressive when her son came out, and found the love of his life and adopted a child.
Later on in life, she got cancer...and it just...was too much for her to fight.
Not being there at the funeral...and having to deal with my grief alone...I was so angry and frustrated and isolated from the people I wanted to be around the most. I couldn't get time off work and because of the situation I was in, I was stuck in QLD and not in a great place mentally and emotionally and it was so difficult to say goodbye to someone I loved through a computer screen.
I dreamt of her before she passed, she was in her hospital bed with family around her and we had a discussion about how she had other people waiting for her on the other side and she was going to meet my Nan and have a cuppa tea.
My Grandfather's health is declining rapidly and among other things and reasons, it was a big motivator for me to come home. I couldn't do it again. I couldn't say goodbye to him through a computer screen. I had to make sure that I was there.
