Being there.

Sometimes it's very difficult to know how to react. Last week, one of my Dad's few friends died. He was a guy called Kevin and he was a really great guy. He was one of the few people I worked with when I was a holiday stand in at Tawny Transport during my university holidays that treated me without contempt and actually made me feel it was worth my time being there. I never got to know him too well, but he was always friendly and there to help if he could when needed, and he helped me out when I moved from Croxley Green all those years ago. It's his funeral tomorrow and I'm going with Dad.
I don't quite know how I feel, about funerals. I've only been to one, Grandad's, and that was really harrowing. This one will be different, and harrowing for other people, but it's still sad, isn't it?

This evening I learnt that my Uncle Dave has prostate cancer. How are you supposed to react to that? It's very difficult to know what to think and say. It's quite advanced and because of his ongoing stomach problems he can't have Radiotherapy or chemo, so I'm not quite sure what else they can do to stop it. I suppose he'll find out tomorrow in hospital in Bristol. The good thing is that this type of cancer has a good survival rate, even in the fairly advanced stage his is in, so hopefully they'll be able to do something to stop it spreading further.
But how do you react to that? He's not an uncle I'm really close to, but that doesn't change the fact that he's family and I have to be there for him, if needs be. Not that I can do much to help really I suppose. Just keep Dad positive. Prhaps for now, that's enough.