"Effects of Alcoholism" by Leah M

     One of the most important things that someone can do for their family is just to spend time with them. Sometimes you don’t exactly get the opportunity and when something happens, you can really start to regret it. I come from a very big family with a total of, now, 10 aunt and uncles, and over 150 cousins just on my moms side. Having a big family is really amazing because you have a lot of people there for you and to spend time with when it comes to holidays. You learn how to forgive and forget, get along with each other, grow and learn, and be grateful for what you have been given. But when you have a big family and everyone starts to get older, you become more aware of the idea of death. Growing up, me and my uncle were very close. He lived nearby so we visited almost every chance we could. The fact that he and his wife could never have children after 30 years of marriage made him treat me as if I was his own daughter. In spanish, we call our aunts and uncles tia’s and tio’s, but in this case he was my nino. A nino is an uncle who becomes a godparent after birth that looks after you if anything should happen. I received nothing but love from my nina and nino and gave them the same in return. Unfortunately, my uncle had a very bad drinking problem that was very hard to overcome. He ended up in the hospital many times due to liver failure but recovered each time. The last time he was in the recovery room, they told him that if he drank again he could possibly die. In late 2017, he and my aunt came into a situation where they were able to adopt a newborn son. This new life motivated my uncle to want to do better and stop drinking once and for all for he now had another reason to live. One day, after many months passed from the last time he was in the hospital, he thought his body could handle just one glass of wine. He was wrong. He fell on the ground and was immediately admitted to the emergency room. When we all found out, we were devastated because we knew this may be the last time we could see him. He was in the hospital for about a month. I really wanted to go and see him but because of my age and my relation to him, they didn’t let me up to the room. I stayed in the waiting room while my aunt visited and let him know about the situation. We were both very upset but I guess it was better for me that I didn’t have to see him in that condition. My mother was in the room helping him get cleaned up, telling him about what’s going on with the family, the baby, etc. I stayed in the waiting room for a few hours but I didn’t mind. About a week later, it was Easter and it was the first time he wasn’t there with us. It hurt my heart so much to know that he couldn’t make it and spent that last holiday in the hospital. The day after Easter, my mom woke me up at 3 in the morning to let me know he had passed away in his sleep. It hit me like a truck. I stopped breathing and was left in disbelief. I cried my heart out and I cried and cried for hours until it was 7 in the morning and I had cried myself to sleep. When I woke up, it felt like a dream. It felt like it wasn’t real and that it didn’t really happen. I’d never seen my mother cry before. Her little brother just passed away and she couldn't take it. I prayed that everything would be okay in my family and that my uncle was somewhere better than this cruel world. My brother was furious. He was crying and mad at the fact that my uncle knew of the consequences that would come if he drank, and he still did it anyways and look where it ended up taking him. We attended his funeral a few days later and I had to physically have someone help me get in and out of the car because I just couldn’t take it. It was an open casket and I had a breakdown when I saw him. He looked so peaceful and I knew nothing in the world could ever hurt him again. They released white doves at the burial site which are signs of peace, love, hope, and the Holy Spirit. However, one dove in particular stayed. My aunt lifted her hands and they all flew away except one. This was almost like a sign

letting us know he was okay. The dove was there to let us know that he was safe and that he’s found peace. When we returned home, I didn’t go to school for an entire week. It was such a hard grieving process that even to this day, I still shed a vast amount of tears whenever I think of it. I miss my uncle with all my heart but I’ve learned two lessons from this experience. Value your time with your family because you never know what will happen, and be responsible with what you put into your bodies that may be dangerous especially if you know you have someone who cares about you. So my message to everyone would be to please spend time with your close family so you can never say that you regret not doing so.