I found out years later that he was gay and our entire extended family had decided to cut him out of their lives. Growing up, my favourite uncle was always around, always laughing and telling stories. He was the life of the party and everyone loved him. I was so excited when he came to visit and I loved spending time with him.
But then, one day, he stopped coming to family gatherings. I was so confused and hurt, wondering what I had done wrong. I asked my parents why he wasn’t invited anymore and they just said that he was too busy with work.
As I got older, I started to notice that most of the family had stopped talking about him and even his name was rarely mentioned. I was so sad and missed him so much, but I never knew why he had been cut off from the family.
Years later, I found out the truth. My uncle had been gay for a long time and the rest of the family had found out. They had decided to turn their backs on him and refused to accept him for who he was.
I was so angry and disappointed in my family. How could they be so cruel and heartless? I wished I had known the truth earlier so I could have stood up for him. I never got the chance to tell him how much I missed him and how much he meant to me.
My favourite uncle was gone from my life, but I will never forget him.