It's days like today that I get thinking about my Uncle Bryan.
It makes me think about the delicate nature of our bodies, and the self-imposed wear-and-tear that we place on ourselves because of necessity. It's hotter than hell; the kind of heat that makes you believe that you are literally melting. The humidity is excruciating, and is only going to get worse as the day progresses. Which makes it a bitch for anyone who has breathing problems. See, we have a high smog alert level predicted for the next little while, and I hate to think about the people who are going to suffer because of it.
My Uncle died a couple of years ago. He and his wife helped raise my brother and sister and I. They even lived with us on different occasions. The last months of his life were beyond believable. He suffered first from pnemonia, and then developed emphasema. Every breath he took in the end was a hardship, and every minute that he suffered was self-induced in his past.
He was a heavy smoker, and at a time, a hell of a drinker. He also worked as a driver and spent many hours sitting in traffic, waiting in parking lots, and traveling the open road. All of the pollution in the air, did not help him out either.
When I was young, I had allergies that made it difficult to breathe, too. Occasionally, I suffer from it, and am resigned to using an inhaler if the season is particularly nasty. I once got pneumonia, about 2 years ago, and it's something that I would never want to go through again. So, I have some idea of what a big deal simply breathing can be. And then again, since I have never really sufferedlike some others will today, I really don't.
My thoughts are with my wonderful uncle, and those who I hope tough out these awful effects of smog, humidity, and the afteraffects of the flood. Keep on breathing.