:) / :(

This week has been, is and will be overwhelming.
If you want to read another posting about running, better skip to the next blog.

Last Saturday, my only brother got married. And I'm sad in a happy way and happy in a sad way.

My brother finally got it right. Found himself a nice sensible pretty girl to settle down with instead of the hags he dated before. But in a way, I feel like I'm losing a part of him.

You see, when I'm with my brother, it's like we're forever stuck in a time warp in which I'm always 10 and he will always be 5. We tease each other a lot. We play pranks on each other. I bully him and I guess just because I'm his big sister, he lets me get away with it ( most of the time).

When my husband got into the family, he thought we were weirdos. Macam budak-budak, he used to say. But he got used to it and now when I smack my brother occasionally on the forehead( and he smacks me back), hubs joins in laughing.
But now, if I go on like that, will my new sister think , " Is she mentally retarded?"

 To me he will always be this way.

And then, 3 days after the wedding, my tokwan passed away. My only remaining grandparent.

 He used to get sick before. Had serious heart problems. But he fought back attack after attack. Usually, a day after being discharged from the hospital, we'd find him chopping wood somewhere, or tending his chickens, or digging up something for his orchard ( despite my dad's protests)

A day before his demise, we even talked about fixing in new dentures when he gets well.

He loved reading. He read everything. I remember, if you buy the day's newspaper, you had better get your hands on it first before he did. He'd have it for ages. He read every article. Page by page. If you wait for your turn, he'd ignore you. Berjanggut la tunggu.

He loved his family. All 9 children. All 34 grandchildren. I don't even know how many great-grandchildren he had, but I truly believe he loved every single one of them.

He passed away 3 days after the wedding of his favorite grandson. How sad is that? Or is that supposed to be a happy ending?

Life is weird that way..

Worser yet, this week I'm on call. And it's only Thursday. 

**Normal JJ will be back next week**