Today I join the list of people who knows someone who died of cancer. My cousin, which I dont have a picture of, died from cancer today. He is not what you normally think of when you think of cousin, because he is actually in his late 30s, so he is a lot older than me. Him and his family were the first people we knew when we came to America in 1991. They opened up their home to us, and they gave us everything we needed to start our life here. I remember coming over to his house at Christmas and eating turkey and corn. The house was always cold, and it had a big backyard with a lot of untrimmed grass.
He was a good person. He always tried to do things for other people, and he always did a lot for me and my family. He actually helped my dad buy his first car, and he also helped me buy my first car a few years back. He was a simple man. At the end of his life he was driving a cab in SF. Of all the cabs in SF, one day while walking in downtown SF, I actually saw him driving by.
I am the oldest in my family, but I would consider him to be almost like my older brother. Of all his brothers and sisters, he was the most caring. He was also very good with his hands and that made him sort of an idol in my mind. He could single handedly rebuilt a car engine in his spare him. He could also remodel an entire kitchen by himself. He could build almost anything. He was an amazing person.
When I learned he had cancer, I didnt know how to re-act. I just remember it being weird seeing him bald, weak, and confused. In my mind, he had never been like that. He was always strong, friendly, and helpful. That is how I will remember him. He was a great man. God will be happy to welcome him to his kingdom.