Dear Michael, 

My heart breaks every time I think of how suddenly that aortic aneurysm took you from us. You were only 40. I was told you were at the doctor’s office where you worked. You called for transport to the hospital because something didn’t feel right. You were an EMT so I guess you knew. You called David, our brother, to meet you at the hospital. He was the last to speak with you before you went into surgery. David called me and our youngest sibling, Cynde. We lived four hours away from our brothers. Cynde was able to go up that night but I had to wait until the next night. I went in to see you when I got there; you were already on life support. I touched your hand, I cried, and I begged you to stay with us.

You were so still. I spent that night at David’s house. I can still hear him sobbing and calling out to you from the other side of the house. Cynde has never been the same. You and she were closer in age to each other than to David and me. My children, your only niece and nephew, adored their Uncle Michael. Jennifer wishes you were here to know her son, Andy. He’s almost four now. Chris had a Sacred Heart and the date 05-06-04 tattooed on his arm. We have all been cheated of many years with you. You were a wonderful brother and uncle. I pray that there is an afterlife and you have joined Mom and Dad and maybe someday I will see you again. 

It is so hard to accept that you not in this world with me. I can’t believe that I will never hear your voice on the phone saying, “Hey, girl”. I feel robbed of the plans we had to someday visit the Aztec pyramids and to wonder if our ancestors touched that stone or played on that grassy area. I wish I could turn back time to tell you to go get a scan or something before that aneurysm stole your life. I want to hug you again, to laugh with you, but mostly I want to tell you how much I love you.

I miss you.
Your older sister,
Noni, age 60