Reliving a bit of the past

This week I found out that one of our family members had passed away. Another one of the older generation in our family, 89 years old, was gone.  Although it is natural to see people of this age pass away, it brought back to my mind, years ago, when we went to her home at Christmas. In remembering those Christmas get togethers, it seemed like yesterday.

The older generation then was a family of three sisters. Those sisters had 5 children between them, one of which was my Daddy. Each year we would go to Tuscaloosa for the three sisters and their extended family members to get together. I don`t remember being particularly excited about these get togethers, cause I only saw them that one time a year, but we went and always had a good time once we were there. From the three sisters and 5 children, there were 10 of us children, us cousins, who would be there. We usually went to Daddy`s cousin`s house because it was the largest one to have us all.

He was a Doctor and they lived in the biggest most beautiful white house on the golf course. It seemed huge to me at that age, would be interesting to see it today to see if was really that big or in my mind of memories! But whatever the size, it was beautiful. Bennie and Albert lived there and they were always the most gracious host and hostess. Bennie remined us of Norma Zimmer from Lawrence Welk Show! That ages me for sure, but we used to say that when we left!

Years passed, the children got older and busier and one by one, the sisters passed away. Cousins moved, and some of us lost contact with each other. Then facebook happened!! Now, we are able to keep up with each other in a way we hadn`t done for years. It feels like we at least know each other through our facebooks!

Our Daddy was the first of the older cousins to pass away 40 years ago. Then  Albert died and his Bennie remarried years later... She would occassionally come to Birmingham to shop and we would see her but not much these last years.. She had moved to Fairhope after her second husband passed away and this week, she had a stroke and died. Tomorrow, we will travel to Tuscaloosa, to be with her family as they say good bye to their mother.

Fresh memories will be made as we reunite with cousins from years past.  Children of the cousins, will meet. If it wasn`t for facebook, we may not have even known of Bennie`s death. I would not have been in contact with her daughter and for sure, would not have been friends with her grand daughter.

It is hard to close a chapter in your life, realizing you will never have it again, but as we say good bye to Bennie, I look forward to more memories to be made, with the cousins and new cousins that we will get to meet.

Yes, those three sisters long ago, would never have imagined their children and grandchildren staying in touch through the computer! Times change, we just have to keep up with them...