Last week I received the extremely sad news that my Aunty Christine lost her battle with cancer. She first met with the challenge of overcoming breast cancer before falling prey to lung cancer. We all hoped for a miracle that her health could be restored whilst her fiancée frantically tried to save her by searching for new treatments online. All to no avail. My Aunty Christine celebrated her 60th birthday in January this year, a milestone, she was much too young to die.
In the past 12 months I have lost three people close to my family. The most it has been for a while. Even though I have experienced grief and loss before, it's always tough dealing with the emotions that follow. Five years ago I lost someone I loved very deeply. I found that once I digested the initial shock it can be extremely difficult imagining a life without that person. Essentially life is never the same again. It can take years to recover from a devastating loss.
My Aunty Christine was a lovely woman, I have such fond memories of her from my childhood. We used to have lots of family gatherings and I remember she always greeted me with a big warm smile. She was always cheerful and I can't recall a single time seeing her angry.
Unfortunately I was not able to attend her funeral which took place today. It's a bit far to travel. It's been almost four years since I've been in Australia and several, more since I last saw my aunt. Since I learnt her condition was terminal I've been thinking of her constantly. It's a terrible feeling knowing that when I eventually return home, I will never see her again.
Rest in peace Aunty Chris, you will be dearly missed.
