A Great One Gone

If you were reading me at the time, you may recall that I made a trip to Korea in October of last year. My first. I detailed it here.

After I returned, I posted that I'd met myUncle for the first, and likely last, time.

He had been diagnosed 1 1/2 years ago with a fatal liver disease. The medical doctors gave him 6 months to live. When I saw him he had sworn off the medical doctors and was seeing a buddhist witch doctor of sorts. He was buddhist. He went on a strict buddhist diet which he was told would cure his ailments. No meats were allowed in the diet. He was recovering soundly.

In recent weeks he had been telling my aunt that he was lacking energy and needed protein. She cooked chicken and meats for him everyday. Yesterday, she cooked two whole chickens for him. She said he laughed and told her:

"Woman! Do you expect me to eat all of this?" She said he would have all weekend to eat it. Last night he called her and said "I ate it all." She went to his home in the evening, sensing something wasn't quite right.

He joked that his time had come. That he was glad to have seen his baby sister and to have met me before he died. He said that meeting me - of all people - was one of the highlights of his life. Then he called for an ambulance.

My dear uncle was dead before he reached the hospital. He was 72.

As I sit here typing this simple post I am overcome with tears. I had known my "wey samchun" for only 10 days. In 10 days he taught me some korean, taught me some tradition and showed me, actually took me to the place where my roots began. For that I am ever grateful. I loved that simple Korean man more than I ever thought I could.

It is interesting. I already feel as if my life has a void in it - for the next time I visit Korea, he will not be there to greet me.

He lived a full life. One filled with turmoil, sadness and then triumph. My one consolation? He died at home, with his dear sister and a belly full of chicken. Should we all be so lucky.

So this memorial day - I will remember him.