Thinking About my Cousin (and Counting My Blessings... Again)

Facebook has become that place we all go to air our everyday joys and sorrows.  Typically, a post about feeling sick will be met by well wishers and maybe a few offers for help.  Usually, by the time friends ask if you need anything, you are already feeling better but it was nice to know they cared.

That's the way it is supposed to work.  Especially when you are young and relatively healthy and the illness you had was sudden and short and more of an anecdote followed by a rant about the price of tator tots.

Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the way that things are going.  News came yesterday that my cousin's husband, who had been casually complaining of a slight illness (and of the high cost of tator tots) went to the ER. I assumed the illness had become more annoying and the ER was the only thing open on the weekend.  I've been in that situation a few times myself. You go because it is late at night and you get some type of care and you come home and you joke about it afterwards.  At least, that is the way it is supposed to work.

I don't have many details, but it appears that he is not coming home. My heart aches for my cousin, his wife who is losing her partner, and for their two young children are loosing their dad. I am reminded of a similar situation, less than a year ago, when a high school friend lost her husband (see original Counting My Blessings post).  Within the last month or two, PJ has lost two of his high school friends (one to illness and one to an accident).  This news hits a lot closer to home and the idea that people my age are not immune from the really big tragedies is seeming even more real. I don't know what to say or do, but I will be hugging my loved ones a little tighter today.