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Funeral of a Cousin

         I attended a younger cousin's funeral today. His death was not unexpected. The doctors gave him seven to ten days to live four months ago. He was determined to hang on. His kidneys were failing and he refused to undergo dialysis. He did not want to run his life around a procedure three times a week. He slowly drifted away and died peacefully at home.

         His family was reconciled to the inevitable. Although there was some sadness, an admission by his family that they would miss him, even in his neediness and fading energy, it was not the saddest funeral I've ever attended. He led a good life, was a happy person, and left many memories. He was honored by the fire department for which he volunteered until his health no longer allowed it.

         It was a gathering of family and friends in a common loss. I saw a child I hadn't seen in 20 years. I was surprised he remembered me, but I guess he heard news about me, just like I heard about him. I saw old people I hadn't seen in years, since the last funeral probably. We all agreed we needed to get together more. We don't have the right age group for throwing weddings any more, and funerals, well, there's enough of those.

         Our lives intertwine with others, whether related or not, then we drift apart. Somehow reuniting always seems natural and rekindles the warmth and joy between us. We catch up quickly and vow to get together soon. So many people drift in and out of lives, never completely severing the ties we build to them. Seeing them again, even briefly, makes us long for those old days, when we were younger and healthier, and prettier. We miss those bonds we built and the folks we've lost.