And What a Long Strange Trip It Continues to Be

My father's eldest brother passed on yesterday afternoon, or in the phrasing of some Buddhist folk of my acquaintance delocalized. He had been suffering from cancer for over a year and while a suboptimal outcome for those who will miss him, not unexpected. When my sister reported this news to me, she asked if I was ok and I demurred (ok, I said why? I don't give a shit.) My concern is with my father and further, his end is certainly closer than his beginning at this point. My father and his two brothers had a most disturbing competition in which they seemed to escalate 'who could be the sickest' for a time the fathership seemed to be in the lead, as he had fallen off of the roof and broke the living shit out of his elbow and arm and upon admission to the hospital, his EKG revealed he suffered a mild heart attack sometime earlier. But then his middle brother who we will refer to as M, had his hip replaced, then O (oldest) got his diagnosis and short term prognosis, which wasn't good. This competition is too bizarre to me, outside of my experience but unfortunately not outside my observation. The mothership by comparison is a paragon of good health, has always been an exercise fiend, absolutely always. I recall her mopping the floor at tennis, racquetball, basketball with comers of any age or gender. I'm glad we've followed in her footsteps, my siblings and I. And I realize that no one gets out of here alive, I do. But why die before your time? And why would you not enjoy the time you've got?