That Thing



The thing I love the most in my life isn’t just one thing but two. I received two gifts from my Uncle this past summer in Sweden. I had gotten a beautiful knit blue, green and purple scarf and a German Sheppard stuffed animal. I believe without a doubt that these are my favorite even though my uncle lived in Sweden and I live in America we had such an amazing relationship. Every year I would go to Sweden with my Nana and we stayed with relatives like her sister and brother in law. My Uncle Sonny was the best, He was my Nana’s first child with a different marriage, we would always bet on horse races or other silly things like that. The last time I went to Sweden was in the summer of 2008. My Uncle was weak and his skin was yellow, he was dying from liver cancer and he knew this. He made his last few months the best by drinking his favorite beer and watching his favorite shows like the lottery channel. We all ate dinner together as a family; I would sometimes walk to the plaza or play with their cat, Linus. Then the day came when we had to depart for the airport, my uncle gave me a big hug and we took a few last pictures for memory., which now sit at my bedside table. My aunt came out of her room holding a neatly wrapped package and told me I could have it, it was the most beautiful scarf I had ever seen. Then my Uncle also said that there was a small toy just sitting on his bed and he wanted me to have it. A cute German Sheppard stuffed animal sits on my bed now. After a sad departure and a month later in America we had gotten the call we were hoping never to get. My Uncle Sonny lost the battle to cancer, now I cherish those two gifts and last pictures as if they were my Uncle’s momentums.