I am due to write a proper post about my travels and activities, but I felt it appropriate to take a pause to acknowledge the passing of my cousin this past week.
L was quite a bit older than me and by the time I arrived to the Bilyeu family, he was already living his adult life. Still, he was always kind to me and would make an effort to talk to me even when I was being a selfish teen or an arrogant twenty-something who was traveling the world. Although we never really had anything in common, I appreciated that he had a heart to show interest in me and connect whenever I visited home.
It’s always a shock to lose someone at such a young age, even more so when it is someone you know, and yet more so when it is a member of your family.
Death is inevitable. We cannot escape it. We may wish to put it off as long as possible, but when it is our time, we have no choice in it unless we choose to make it happen sooner.
For me, it’s never been something I fear nor is it something that I run away from. While I do not necessarily welcome the end of life, I am ready whenever my time might come. Unfortunately, I did not know L well enough to know where he stood about life and death, but I wish him a peaceful passing from his time in our lives to wherever comes after. Maybe, we shall converse again in my dreams.
It is a loss for my aunt and other cousins that I can only imagine will inform their grief cycle. So, it is with love and compassion that I write this post in memory of Lance Watkins (October 26, 2024).
~Tπ₯πβοΈ
