The Reminiscence of a Golden Man!

A couple of days ago I lost my uncle due to a medical complication. He was 59 and absolutely did not deserve to leave this planet. He was one of the most wonderful human beings. He was the last flickering light in the salvaged history of my ill-fated family. A sibling to my mother, a friend to my father and the most supportive and positive person to anyone who ever had the privilege to cross his path. He was selfless even after death as he managed to make the lives of seven people who faced the uncertain call of death defeat it by donating his organs. He was selfless even beyond existence. I am lucky to call him my uncle. 

He was perfectly alright on Sunday as he had lunch with my family and planned a mini vacation to our ancestral village in the coming months. He faced quite a bit of trouble growing up. The fall from grace of my family through history had put my uncle and his grandparents into the depths of poverty. Additionally, he had the responsibility of taking care of two sisters along with a ailing father. My grandmother passed away very early, and my step-grandmother was not really fond of my uncle and his siblings. 

He started working at the age of ten in order to support the family. In a small shop in the bustling locality of T-Nagar, he commuted twenty-five kilometers every day in order to support the family. He mended and melted gold as he slowly twisted them in the heat of the furnace to make chains and bangles. It was an Art that was not easy to master but he did it from the age of ten. A craftsman that had the skills mended together with his fingertips. He was the last one to hold the family legacy together. The last flickering light burning the midnight oil to keep the family profession alive and also feed the family. 

Life was never kind to him, but he persisted. Life put many hurdles in his path, but he faced them with courage. Never did I ever see him give up or lose that smile on his face. The impact he had on the lives of the people he interacted was so profound and positive. He endured poverty and slowly established himself in the epochs of the society. From facing the miscarriage of his first child, to building his own house and having the blessed opportunity of meeting his two lovely grandchildren. Even at the age of 59 he never stopped working. My mother had the privilege of having possession of the last ever gold ornament he crafted. She looks at it now with so much angst and sadness.    

I can still recollect so many memories of him taking me to his workspace and showing me how things are done. He would buy me curdled and condensed milk as we walked from the Railway station to his workspace. I would notice all the nice things he would do for all the people that he bumped into. I looked at the amount of respect and reverence people had towards him. He used to make everyone around him laugh and feel positive. When everyone in the train despised the transgender community that begged for survival, he would hand over the money and wish them a good day. 

My uncle is not just another normal person. He was the personification of being good. He was the personification of living for others. He was the personification of selflessness. He was the last beacon of family tradition and culture. An art and craft that is lost forever now. He was not just somebody, he was the beacon of happiness for every life that he touched. I have never seen my father mourn someone so easily. But when he heard the news of my uncle's passing, he broke down. The smile he had was contagious and it intoxicated everyone that was around him. I never had the opportunity to tell him how much I loved him when he was alive. I wish I could meet him one last time so that I can tell him how much I love him and how much he means to the people around him. 

His passing has been an epiphany for me. I saw how much life could change within a matter of days. A human life can disappear before we come to terms with it. I was overwhelmed with emotions amidst a wave of sorrow and uncertainty. I realized how fragile this human life is! The impact of happiness that we have on people will always live on forever. I saw that in my uncle’s life. The number of people who broke down and mourned his loss was astonishing. The impact we leave behind in this world is important. We don’t have to be famous, nor ever-present. We just have to leave behind something for everyone to cherish in the little time that we have in this beautiful world. We have to be happy. We have to learn to pick ourselves up when we fall down. We have to learn to treat everyone with love and help anyone we can.

Be you. Be human. Be good.

I love you Uncle and We miss you!