Before leaving home for my calligraphy class in the morning, my dad told me that my uncle was admitted to the hospital.  I decided to join my parents to visit my uncle after class.  According to my aunt, my uncle’s condition was really bad on the weekend and she had to call the ambulance to take him to the hospital.  My aunt seemed awfully worried, even now when my uncle’s condition seemed more or less stable and is under the care of a team of dedicated doctors and nurses.  She was telling my mom how she was really scared my uncle would just pass away at home a few days ago.

It so happened that another aunt (my mom’s elder sister) has been staying in the same hospital and is actually on the same floor as my uncle’s ward.  This aunt of mine is about 20 years older than my uncle and is suffering from intestinal cancer.  We visited her after seeing my uncle.  My aunt didn’t seem too bad even though my cousins told us that her condition is terminal because it’s too risky to operate on her at her age.  My aunt was telling us stories of her good old days and how she had struggled so much when she was young and poor.  She said she’s really reluctant to leave the many earthly pleasures after going through the many struggles in life.  She seemed to have lost hope and was prepared for the worst. 

I don’t know what I can do to help my uncle and my aunt other than offering my time to visit and my ears to hear their sorrows and pain. 

“Oh Lord, please be merciful to my uncle and my aunt, please listen to their cries and prayers when they are suffering. “