uncle david.

on the way to work today,  i received shocking news.  my dad called travis to let him know that my uncle david had passed away suddenly this morning.  

my uncle is my mom's younger brother.  he was 48 years old.  

my parents weren't sure if i should get the news before work or after.  it's been a tough 12-months. travis didn't want to tell me right away, but was also afraid someone would call or text me.

while we were driving he listened to a voicemail and called someone back, but i wasn't paying close enough attention to determine who or what the conversation might be about.  i just assumed he was on the phone with matthew.  

a few minutes after he hung up he started asking me questions about how my day looked.  when i told him i didn't have any meetings in the afternoon, he asked if i could take a half-day.  i asked why, and he suggested we might go look at the land.  i couldn't justify leaving for a half-day off work when we had just been out of the office for the holidays.  i asked if we could leave around 3:00. 

he sighed, and then said, "i don't want to tell you this, but your uncle david passed away last night."  he grabbed my hand and told me he was sorry. 

i think i was in shock for a minute, and then i started to cry. tears just rolled down my cheeks as i tried to process that my uncle was gone.  at such an early age.  

today has been hit and miss.  fine for a moment and then tears spilling over.  my brother called me a little after 8:00 to check on me and to see if i knew.  i'm so grateful travis told me on the way to work. 

it turns out my uncle had a heart attack first thing this morning.  my mom got a phone call from haley at 6:30 in the morning asking her to come to st. john's because her daddy had just passed away.  i can't even begin to imagine what i would do if i lost my dad at the age of 16.  i'm having trouble losing my uncle.