Loss

A call last night brought the dreaded news I had expected for several years. My cousin, Pat died quickly yesterday. Her struggle to live had been long and painful and nothing any of us would have wanted for her. She was a beautiful young girl nine years my senior and oh so cool in my childhood memories. When I was in elementary school, she was loving all the in-crowd activities of high school. She wore poodle skirts, danced the bop and went boat riding on the lake with her friends and no parents. She transitioned into a glamorous young mother with the cutest, sweetest little girl. They would drive up in the little white corvair with Ka-Ka (daughter Karen) exiting in her little red coat and cap, and again I was so proud to claim a familial relationship. We never lived in the same city again after those few years, but occasional visits and phone calls allowed the connection to continue. Our parents were siblings and each died much too young. In later years we would remember them and laugh about their quirks. She was my link to that bit of nostalgia. Now that link has passed on and I will miss her so.