-10
About a decade ago, my mom's high school friend passed away from diabetes. The last Christmas present he got me was a Felix the Cat DVD.
This year will be even more depressing than that Christmas. My uncle fell backwards down the stairs at his home, and broke his neck and vertebrae. While he did have an operation, he has become so swollen to the point that he can't move most of his body parts, and I fear that he will become a cripple for the rest of his life, although it's too soon to tell. His family (my aunt and two younger cousins - 10 and 9) are taking this really hard, and I feel so bad for them. Before going to bed, I cried for ten minutes straight, because I don't know how else to cope. My grief has gotten so bad, I may consider skipping Christmas Eve brunch with my maternal family and my aunt's annual Christmas party this year, because of how depressing it may be with my uncle in the ICU.
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Black cat on duty