January wasn't so Fun-uary

The first month of 2020 has come and gone. What most of us were hoping would be a new start, a fresh beginning, turned out to be the trials and tribulations that we dreaded for a long while and hoped would never come.

This new decade decided not to hold back on the dread. January has seen many face a great loss at the hand of a helicopter crash, the imminent threat of the coronavirus, and other disasters. It is hard to see past the gloom that is setting in.

I, myself, have not been spared by this roll of misfortune. On Thursday, January 30th, 2020, my Uncle Richard passed away. He was the eldest of four boys, my father being the youngest. My Uncle Richard was a man full of character and incredibly intelligent. But the main thing I remember the most about him was his passion for music. Watching him play guitar, being in his element, was truly an experience. You see, my Uncle was left handed and he technically played the guitar upside down, with the strings placed in their normal arrangement. Everyone who ever knew him would instantly recall his skills as a musician.

(Photo Credit: Natasha Fiu)

Friends and family members have sent their condolences, a few have taken the time to send me private messages to check on how I'm doing. Till today I had not been able to process it. My Uncle had a bad stroke a few years ago. Although his speech was intact and he was able to move around without assistance, he wasn't the same. But he still had his warm smile and that was a blessing. I moved in with him and my cousin not long after so I could go to back to Uni and I did my best to help take care of him. I would often sweet talk him into taking his medication and to remember to eat everyday, which motivated me to cook meals he couldn't say no too like chicken soup with noodles, beef lasagne, creamy chicken and mushroom pasta, pot roast with mash potatoes and boiled veggies, and if I had time in the morning I would make him porridge for breakfast.

If you have never lived in Fiji, you'd think I was kind to do so much. But the thing is, it's not kindness. It's almost like a sense of duty and most of all respect. I thought of him as another father and loved him as such.

And this part is the hardest. The part where I cannot be back home in Fiji to say goodbye. The part where I cannot stand next to my cousin and comfort him in his grief. The part where I cannot hold my father's hand to console him. The part where I cannot be with my family and share the fondest memories of someone who impacted our lives greatly.

(Photo Credit: Ryssa Fiu)

January of 2020 has not been kind. It chimed in with the realities of the world and reminded us that above all our heads sits a timer that is continuously counting down our time here. If I could give one piece of advice it would be to live a life of kindness. The reminder that life is short has been sung more times than not, but doesn't make any less true. Kindness changes people. It moves people. And at the rate existence is going, everyone needs more of it.