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My husband and I recently brought Uncle Laz to our house for a simple dinner, just pizza and beer. It might sound like a small thing, but for us, and especially for Uncle Laz, it was something very special. Uncle Laz lives just next door to our building. He is a bachelor man, never got married, and never had children. For many years, he lived alone. He was used to his quiet life, and he always managed everything by himself. But some months ago, we noticed something was not right. He is weaker, missing meals, medicine, and things. It became clear that he could not take care of himself. The family brought him to the hospital for a check-up. That’s when we found out he had colon cancer. The doctor said it was already at a late stage. He needs to have someone with him to help him take medicine on time and accompany him every day. After some family discussions, everyone agreed to move him into home care. This way, he would have a caregiver, a safe space, and proper care. All of us, his siblings, nieces, and nephews, take turns visiting him. The caregiver told us that almost every day, someone from the family comes to see him. That made us happy to hear. It shows how much he is loved.
Uncle Laz has always been kind, especially to us. Just before COVID, he was so active and healthy, we used to gather at his home almost every weekend. He would welcome us with food, jokes, and smiles. He was like a second father to many of us. To me, he is not just my husband’s uncle; he is also my godfather. I feel close to him like a real father. In the past decade, he kept saying one thing: “I want to come to your house. I want to buy pizza and beer for you all.” He repeated this many times. I could see how much he wanted to feel normal again, not as a patient, but just as Uncle Laz. So, my husband and I finally decided: Let’s make it happen. Let’s bring him home. We picked him up and brought him to our place. My husband bought his favorite pizza and beer. When we got back home, he sat down beside Boris, my son, and ate together. He only had two slices of pizza and half a can of beer, but the smile on his face was so bright. His joy was simple and pure. That night, we took some photos to remember the moment. One shows him sitting with a plate of food, smiling. Another one shows the pizza box, some slices left, and the beer he had been dreaming about.
Two months ago, the doctor told us that Uncle Laz might only have one month left to live. Now, it has already been almost three months. He is still here with us. Every extra day feels like a blessing. He’s also a bit better compared to when he stays alone at his house. Just the other day, he looked at us and said softly, “Christmas is coming.” Those three words touched our hearts. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. But we really hope Uncle Laz can still be with us this coming Christmas. We want to celebrate with him, like before. It’s hard to say what we feel. We are happy, but also a bit sad. We feel close to him, but also a little scared. Life has many feelings, love, fear, joy, and pain, all happening at the same time. But one thing is sure: we want to spend more time with Uncle Laz. Simple things like eating pizza and drinking beer may look small, but for us, they are very special. We will always remember these moments. Thank you, Uncle Laz, for being there. We love you so much. We are happy we had this simple and happy night with you.
