February 08, 2008
Wake-Up Call
You know, when Mama called yesterday to tell me about my cousin, it really kind of shook me up.
Not that we were really close. He is Daddy's oldest brother's son....and I didn't get to see him much after Daddy was gone. Oh, I hurt for his family and I'm surprised to say, it hurts a bit for Daddy. As weird as that sounds. It's like losing a bit of him again.
No, what was so scary was the call itself. We've had what seems like hundreds of them in our family. I've lost Daddy, and 7 aunts and uncles as well as my grandparents. That's just on Mama's side. Anyway...all but one uncle and my grandparents were from accidents. I won't even go to the number of friends that have left so suddenly. Suffice to say......those calls are a little too common place for my liking.
When Mama called she was crying. All she could get out was she had bad news.
My first thought was my sister, Dee. My mind raced, trying to think if she was working yesterday or not. But you never know with her. Firefighters have difficult schedules to keep track of and she is always picking up extra shifts.
It wasn't Dee. And after that thought settled I felt kind of guilty for the relief I felt.
Now...I'm not going to kid you. Dee and I are not what most folks would consider close. Not like some siblings I've seen (and envied). But...she is Mama Vi's baby girl. She's a mother to three kids. She's important in her community. She's my little sister for cryin' out loud.
And I'm not ready to say Good-bye. I'm not. But then again....is anyone ever really ready for that?
As hard as death is to deal with, I've found it's a good reminder to keep clear in our minds what is REALLY important. This is a wake-up call to get my own house in order.
Posted by Tammi at February 8, 2008 07:21 AM | TrackBack