My condolences to you and your family.

At the beginning of the month, my uncle lost his battle to cancer after a lenghty illness. This past Tuesday we buried him and it was very difficult. My biggest regret was not visiting him that often while he was in the hospital.

I had finals the week after he passed away, and I showed up looking like a mess to my exams. Though I didn't want to study at all, I knew that I needed to maintain my composure because I didn't want anyone (except for my closest friends and sisters) to know. It's okay to cry, but when those sad times come upon you, think of the suffering that your grandpa doesn't have to go through anymore.

One of the things that helped me get through preparations for the funeral was my family. They came by the plane loads from San Jose, and I hadn't seen many of them for years. It's sad that it takes a death to bring us all together again, but having the support of your family during this time is very important. I think everyone should be able to grieve alone and in their own way, being able to grieve together is important too. It always breaks my heart to see my mother cry, but usually I give her some private time to collect her thoughts. She and I aren't very close, but when her tears stop I let her know that I'm grieving too.

Car, this is a very important time in your life and I hope (I KNOW!) that you will have the strength to go through this. If ya ever need to vent, you know my email!