Memories

My mom found out this week that her cousin passed away from terminal cancer.  She wasn't very close with him in recent years (but kept up a little via facebook!), but they grew up together in Wharton, Texas, just a few blocks apart.

Her memories of him and growing up in their small town were so sweet - she emailed them to my sister and myself when she let us know of his passing.  It makes me want to move to a smaller town and give Sawyer similar memories!  It was just a sweet, simple time, and what a nice time in your life to reflect back upon.  Here is some of her email:

"I remember Ross as a kid - playing cowboys and Indians with Ross and Jim {one of her other cousins, Ross's brother}, complete with guns and holsters and getting tied up on the back porch.  I remember his cute face at family birthday dinners, which we did every month when one occurred, and Thursday lunches at Tattie's {her grandma, Sallie, and my great-grandma} house for fried chicken, back in the days when we got an hour off for lunch at school, and many kids went home for lunch.  I remember all of our Christmas celebrations together - Christmas eve dinner at our house, complete with music program, Christmas morning breakfast at Ross' parents house, and Christmas Day dinner all together at Tattie's house.  I remember how much Ross, Jim and Fabe {all the boy cousins} loved it when my dad was at their house.  They always wanted Uncle Wayne {my grandfather} to play football with them in the vacant lot next door to their house, and my dad always seemed to be willing to play {he had 3 girls - no boys!}.  When I was a sophomore in college and flew back to Wharton with Tattie after Christmas, Ross drove me to Austin that January for my look at UT as I was considering transferring there as a junior.  While I didn't know him at all as an adult, I am sad about losing my childhood cousin."

I just thought those memories were too sweet not to share.