Today, April 19th marks the 10th anniversary of my cousin Joey's death. Has it been ten years? Memories are still so fresh in my mind, that it seems like yesterday. Questions about why he had to be taken so young remain unanswered. He was so full of life and promise. He had everything to live for, yet a higher force and a stronger demon (cancer) thought otherwise. I still cry when I see a picture of him or a certain memory comes flooding back.
I am SO thankful that I had a chance to say goodbye to Joey and spend some time with him. I'm not sure if he knew that we were even there, but I would like to believe that he did. Even though it was so hard to see him and the rest of my family in so much pain, I would not have traded those days for anything.
It makes me stop and think of how important family is. It makes me think of how important it is to keep your loved ones close and let them know in different ways how much you care for them. It also makes me think of how important it is to let anger and animosity go towards a family member. You never know when the very last time you see them will be. You never know how fragile life is until it is gone forever. Ask yourself these two questions: Do you want your last words to someone in your family to be hateful? Is your anger toward them bigger than your love for them?
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5 comments:
It's ironic that he passed away on the 19th. Even though we weren't close, I still think of him on the 19th and think about how his family copes with his loss.
The last part confused me. I wasn't aware that anyone was mad at him when he went. I'm just glad you were there to say goodbye for me while I was stuck out in L.A.
Noooooo.....no one was mad at "Joey". I guess I was just using that platform to talk about family in "general".
:)
Ah, ok. I hope it wasn't directed at anyone in particular because I thought there was an unspoken understanding that we could just not go there. Know what I mean? :)
I wouldn't say that it was directed in anyone in particular, I think it was more of a general statement to make everyone think about and stress the importance of family, maybe even what I was feeling on that particular day. I definitely don't want to 'go there'. I'm staying neutral in Switzerland....lol
:) Kerrie
*Phew* Visions of you and I skipping through the Alps singing "The Sound of Music" is going through my mind. :)
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