Remembering Uncle Gene

My Uncle Gene passed away this morning at 12:20 am. He had a massive stroke on Friday and never regained consciousness after that. He was on life support for a couple of days until his other boys could get here from Florida. On Sunday around noon they took him off of it. I will never quite understand this part of dying. I have watched several loved ones die like this over the last few years...non responsive...taken off the breathing machine and last for awhile. They told us Gene was brain dead basically on Sat. and there was no hope for recovery and if he did wake up he would be a vegetable. I really don't know how I feel about all of this...when the dr. tells you they are brain dead, can they hear you? Do they know you are there? Why does he keep breathing for 3 days on his own. I was there on Sat. night before they took him off the machines...I talked to him...he squeezed my hand...I tickled his toes...he moved and jerked back. We would tease him and his blood pressure would go up. I just don't know and I guess it isn't for me to know all of these answers. I would like to think in my heart that he heard all of us telling him goodbye. But I don't really know for sure he did. It's hard to say good bye to people you love. A couple of week ago when we went to Branson to stay with my aunt he actually was there too so we got to spend the weekend with him. I sat and visited with him and found out we share a passion of taking pictures. He had a nice camera there too and we sat on the porch and he took pictures of the humming birds that came on the porch...then the sunrise that morning too. We had a good visit...I am so thankful for that time. I would have never guessed I would be saying good bye for the final time in just a few weeks. My aunt (his wife) died about 5 years ago, he has been so lonely since then, but he was very involved in his grand kids and kids lives. He will be extremely missed by them. He was a ornery, funny, caring man, loved to travel too. He and my aunt traveled all the time before she got sick. He had been living with my cousin Lori since her husband died in Sept. He was at her house when he had the stroke. Please pray for Lori, she has lost her mom, her dad, my grandparents and her husband in the last 5 years. Recently they found a mole on her eye that was cancerous. She is suppose to have surgery soon. She has just had a lot to handle and needs strength to get thru this. Gene has 6 kids...3 girls and 3 boys, they all need your prayers right now. I would also ask you to pray for Matt as he will be doing the funeral on Thursday.
Anyway, thanks to all of you who have called and emailed or facebooked your love and support during this time. I am so blessed to have an amazing family and a ton of incredible friends. This has all been a reminder that it could be over any day for you or me. And girlfriends when it is my turn...NO SADNESS!! Today I was thinking about the word funeral...notice the work FUN in there...that is what I will be doing having fun! So that what I want my FUNeral to be...fun...worshiping God!! Hug and love on your family as much as possible...live with no regrets! I can't wait to see Jesus...Can you?

Here is a picture of my uncle Gene and his daughter Amy.