My great uncle (or great great uncle, not sure) celebrated his 100th birthday on Friday the 13th.
Uncle Win was pretty amazing... though I never met him, I watched him deliver the commencement address to Linfield College on YouTube. He was coherent, funny, inspiring... all at 99! It was obvious that he was living a life filled with inspiring those around him. Before his birthday, he gave a great interview to the local paper. To read the perspective and memories of someone who was alive when the first cars came out, when there used to be dance cards at formal dances, who lived through the Great Depression.... it is just fascinating. I wish I had met him.
From what my dad tells me, what Uncle Win wanted in life was to live to be 100. And last Friday, he did it. He was surrounded by friends and family - my grandfather and aunt made the trek from Ohio to Oregon to be there - and it sounded like a wonderful celebration.
The next night, he had another celebratory party, and he was surrounded by everyone dear to him. In the middle of dinner, he had a heart attack and died. 100 years old & a day.
I'm pretty sure we all want to leave this place without pain, doing something we love and/or surrounded by those we love. I've seen far too many recent deaths that are too tragic to comprehend. Uncle Win lived to be 100. He celebrated his birthday with those he loved most, and then quickly and suddenly, without pain, he passed. In my opinion, that is a pretty amazing way to go.
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3 comments:
What a wonderful story of living, Erin! That we should all be so fortunate. Thanks for sharing. Thinking of you and your family.
wow...i totally call that a great way to go...reach your goal and then you are at peace...thought to you and your family...but i know that you are celebrating a life well lived...sounds just like jon's grandmother...she was 102...and totally awesome
Life (and Death) doesn't get much better. Way to go, Uncle Win".
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