Two Weddings & A Funeral

It was a bit of a joke last night that in our family, things happen in threes. For instance, when grandma died, less than three weeks later, Great Auntie Aggie died, and on the day we buried Auntie A, Uncle Billy Lynn died. It was a wild rollercoaster ride for the family. I think I have mentioned this before. So when Great Uncle Jack died, it was a moment for great pause and concern. Then my sister Tina gets the bright idea to say, “No, it’s two weddings and a funeral. It all evens out.” I know of one wedding that I can think of and one funeral, but hey, I’ll take that over three funerals.

As per usual would have it, the cousins all get together at funerals and we talk of how we really should stop getting together like this. We talk of family reunions and keeping it touch, but it never seems to happen. I see cousins now on my dad’s side of the family which I used to play with when I was a child. We had birthday parties and got together more often then than we ever do now. It’s kinda sad that someone has to die in order for us to get together again.

Aunt Betty was the one that set me to tears though. I was ok until the ancient color guard that looked as though they predated WWI in most respects, they came and presented arms. It was a tear jerker of a moment. Reminded me of a close friend’s funeral where they not only played Taps, they had the 21 Gun Salute. You don’t think something like that could bother you so much, especially when you see it or hear it on the media so much. When you’re the one standing there, hearing the guns and Taps and watching a friend or family member’s flag being folded up and presented, you feel little crack of the rifles in the air, every eerie little note of that bugle playing. Granted, we were in a funeral home, so no guns cracking the air, but Taps was just too much. It reminds you of every hard moment of the last experience. So my cousins and I sat there sniffling and crying in the back of the room, but back to Aunt Betty. She’s been one of those people in my family that inspires a lack of excuses and gets your ass motivated.

Sis and I, aka Tina, talked with Aunt Betty at some point or another and got the same result. “You girls have got to stick together.” She was referring to the very same thing I mentioned above, we all gotta stop getting together like this and get together for a family reunion. Basically do what we used to do when we were kids. I was ok talking with her about this until she did that look that only Aunt B can do and said, “You gotta promise me that if something happens to me, that you girls will do that.” I’m sitting here getting all teary eyed again just thinking about it. I totally agree. I suppose it is up to me to get that list of family members together and get it all going at some point.

To top all of this excitement, I get a call from my mom in Alabama to say that my cousin Dennis is heading to the hospital with chest pains and she’s really upset. To top it off she mentions that a few weeks ago, my youngest cousin was beaten to a pulp at the truck stop near my hometown. Apparently Dougie stood up for his buddy’s wife because these three hooligans were giving her shit at the restaurant portion of the truck stop. What the fuck is this world coming to these days? Sheesh.

Last but not least, my evening observations. My family will never get a break; I don’t think we’re meant to have any kind of extended good fortune without some kind of repercussions or bad karma catching up for some past deed that I have no idea what the family did. It’s kinda weird how it happens. I suppose we just can’t enjoy the good without the bad rearing its ugly head up more often than not. Stranger things have happened me thinks. I am sure there are other people out that there that feel the same way at times. Oh well, time to get back to work.

T~ Just kinda hangin’ out today.

...So if I die today I'll be the happy phantom
And I'll go wearin' my naughties like a jewel
I'm still an angel to a girl who hates to sin