Hem your blessings… A tribute to my cousins Em and John

Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don’t unravel - Author Unknown

I absolutely love this… in fact it is on the bottom of all my invoices. I try to remember this and thank God daily for my blessings… This week marked another year that my extended family is minus one. My second cousin Em has become like my fourth sister (as I consider Angie, Jamie and Em my sisters - so I have a few surrogates it helps me cope). She is from an amazing family; her mother is my grandmother’s sister. We are about a year apart and as I spend more time with her I only wish that we had been closer as “teens.” Years ago her family suffered a great loss. Her oldest brother John died of cancer. I was in sixth grade and I remember the funeral. I remember my aunt Lindys Victorian home quiet, and I remember family members although crying smiling. They smiled about the time they did have with John. One thing I must note about this family… they are all incredibly talented, smart, funny and they have these amazing smiles… as I type this I can see the smile on Em’s face, Mark’s face, Julie’s face, Mellissa’s face, Debbie’s Face, and faintly Johns face. Like the rest of the family I only wish I too had got more time with him. More time to develop the picture of his smile. With every child married, grandchild and great-grand child born, I cannot help to think of the pain my Aunt and Uncle must feel. I cannot imagine the pain getting easier, and I cannot imagine the loss of a child. Therefore, every year from now on I will dedicate this week to my Aunt Linda, Uncle John, and cousins. I am proud to be a part of this family and I will hem my blessings… I will be thankful for all I have and the time I have with them so they shall not unravel.

XO

TT