A week ago today I was with my family joyously celebrating the New Year at my cousin Julie’s home in Warsaw, Indiana. My cousin Susan from the Chicago area drove down with her husband Cesar and their 3 kids, and my cousin David and my Aunt Peggy were also there joining in the fun. Two of Julie’s older daughters joined us mid-afternoon, too. I drove up with my sister Barbara and her family, and my brother Chuck and his family came over for the day as well. So there was quite a crowd assembled, and Julie, her husband Jason and their youngest daughter Jessica were incredible hosts for the whole familial brood that descended upon their dwelling.
We had an awesome lasagna lunch together and snacked the whole day afterwards on homemade apple and cherry pies, Oreo truffles, peanut butter bon bons, chips and salsa, garlic bread, etc. It was a wonderful feast.
That afternoon, we played games like Sequence, Wizard, Balderdash, etc. There were lots of kids, and honestly, I was with the kids most of the day. It’s just what I tend to do--gravitate towards the kids. I like adult interaction, but I love hanging with my younger cousins and my nephews and nieces when I get the opportunity. The kids and I started a foosball tournament in the basement game room and had a couple of referees assisting for a while on the house rules. Bet you didn’t know that there were refs for foosball, did you? We played with Jessica’s Pet Shop toys, made “lunch” with the play food in Jessica’s kitchen, and then settled down to watch WALL-E, which is another instant Disney classic. Completely adorable! [Mel's Plug: If you haven't seen this film, you really should.]
My cousin Julie and I were happily snapping photos the whole day and loving every minute of it. It was great to be altogether once again, and we need to do it more often. I'm hoping we can make this a yearly event.
Well, 2 days later I got a late night call from my sister with some sad and stunning news, Julie, David and Susan’s father and step-mother died in a plane crash in Tennessee. They still don’t know exactly what happened to cause the crash, but both of them were killed, and this shocking news has been rather difficult for my cousins and their families, as you can imagine. I haven’t spent a lot of time with my Uncle Lowell for a few years since he and my Aunt Peggy divorced when I was in high school, but I remember him as a pleasant, hard-working man with a good sense of humor, and I am deeply saddened for my cousins’ and this shocking loss. In times like these, there just are no words really. All I want to do is hug my cousins and let them know I love them and am praying for them.
LORD, please grant these dear family members peace and comfort as they face the visiting hours at the funeral home this afternoon and attend tomorrow’s memorial service. Wrap your arms around them, LORD, and remind them of your continual outpouring of love even during this crushing time of sorrow. As we all gather together once again, help us to celebrate the lives of those lost and remember YOUR faithfulness even now!
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