WHEN COUSINS DIE..

 WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN A COUSIN DIES...

I have many cousins.

Many were my first friends outside of my siblings.

As we have gotten older we don't get to play as we used to.

We have watched each other marry and 

buried all our aunts and uncles and parents.

Now it has come to our cousins, 

our generation...

We only now get together at funerals it seems...

Because I was the last of my parents litter,

many of my cousins are older than me.

Which seems to mean I am going to see 

many of my cousins die.

Yesterday we lost another of our Collins Lineage.

Joelynn, the oldest daughter of my Aunt Mae Mae and Uncle Joe.

Because my Uncle Joe died young, leaving my Aunt Mae Mae

with 6 children, Joelynn had a lot of responsibilities.

Because she was the oldest and the youngest was still a baby

she had to step in almost as a parent to the younger ones.

My aunt had to go to work to support her children

so the younger of the children looked up to Jolynn 

through their whole life.

She was my cousins Matriarch after her Momma died

so it is with a heavy heart my Griffin cousins lay to rest

another of their siblings.

We are a big family, but each remain connected in some way.

Yesterday as news of Jo"s  passing spread,

we began to reconnect..

Text messages to cousins,

phone calls from Buddy and a long conversation

with Reggie transpired.

All in the name of Joelynn.

All our lives have gotten filled with 

our own children and families

but our parents taught us right,

when one of us are hurting, we come out in support.

Reggie and I are the same age, went to the same school

were good friends growing up and now,

we don't talk much....

however when one of our own dies, 

it will be a phone call and we will catch up.

So last night it was that phone call...

Jesi was here and heard our conversation.

Afterwards, she commented on how nice it was

that even though we are all older, that we still

have a sense of closeness.

Yes, when one of your cousins die,

you are brought back to a time in your childhood

where those cousins were a part of your daily lives.

We will come together once more on Tuesday 

to celebrate the life of my cousin, Joelynn

and the Collins Lineage.

It will be sad in some ways as all funerals are,

yet it will be a coming together of all those cousins

that are adults now.

There will be tears, but there will also be

lots of stories told, laughing of memories we all share.

RIP, my dear cousin,

may you join all our family who have gone before us

in whatever awaits for us after this life.

I just know, when its my time to go,

you will be there awaiting my arrival.

Much love to all my cousins.