Hold your children close

This week, my family lost a young man who was just beginning his life. My cousin was 17—only 16 three months ago—when he died over the weekend. He was in an awful ATV accident and his parents, siblings, grandparents and family in general are mourning him today and every day.

When I first heard the news, I felt as I always do when I hear horrible news—numb. Then I slowly grew sadder, thinking about how his parents and grandparents were affected, and how we would feel had it been our own daughter stolen from us so early. And then I just collapsed and cried while on the phone with my sister.

I wish it didn’t take things like this to remind us how precious—I hate the word precious, but it really applies here—life really is. Hold your kids close. Tell them you love them every day. And mend those broken family bonds while you’re at it. I’ve let so many stupid things come between some of my family members and me over the past year and I’m ready to say no more grudges, no more politics, no more anything so stupidly separating us. I’m willing to live, let live and love if everyone else is, too—and even if they’re not.

It was tough for me this week—not just because of the deaths, or the kidney stones, or any extra work I had, but also because I had to psyche myself up and face people I thought—and still think, honestly—now hate me. But you know what? I didn’t incinerate, I survived, and I was able to offer what little support I have for my loved ones. I really think Wood Sprite gave the most support, as children often are able to do. I’d like to honor my cousin by doing this, by being brave, by loving my family and living every day as if it were my last, because it very well could be.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia