(no subject)

[bardiphouka]

My cousin Tom died yesterday. In the larger span of things people I know have suffered much greater losses recently. Tom was quite a bit older than I, and pretty much the black sheep of the family (no..I am not the black sheep..just the odd fellow they wish would go away at times). Still, I spent part of my time growing up with his family. And it is..sort of a mortality call?

Comments

[malinaldarose.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about your cousin.

Loss is loss. There's no size to it.

[galdrin.livejournal.com]

Depends on your age and life-style I think. I'm pretty certain I'm older than you are ... but I can sympathize. I had a cousin (whom I rarely saw) die about 20 years ago. Died young from leukemia - was exposed to some toxin in some paint or something along those lines as I recall. No history of cancer in our family anywhere. But he wasn't much younger than me. It did make me pause and think about it a bit.

However, I saw this quote from Diane Ackerman: "I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well." Kewl philosophy ... and what more can a person ask? Live life to the fullest you can, everything in moderation, and don't lament over the "I could have" stuff but appreciate all you've been able to do.

[bardiphouka.livejournal.com]

Actually I am older,at least physically. Tom is actually the 2nd in his branch to die. His older brother died hmm..almost 20 years ago I think? But peer deaths tend to have more impact as we get older I think.

[galdrin.livejournal.com]

By the way - I love that picture. What is it? Is there a larger version of it somewhere?

[bardiphouka.livejournal.com]

It is the cover of the newer (I believe) edition of Trader.

[g0jir0.livejournal.com]

Usually, the black sheep are the ones who've lived life on their own terms, ignoring what the family or anyone else expected them to do. Here's hoping Tom lived his life to the fullest. You have my condolences.

[bardiphouka.livejournal.com]

I think,on reflection, that Tom's problem was that he never learned to live life on his own terms and was not able to live on anyone else's. Food for thought that.

[dangerdean.livejournal.com]

Condolences, man. It certainly does get one thinking when it's peers instead of grandparents who are going.

[ramothhe.livejournal.com]

I am sorry about your loss. *hugs*

[nasturtium.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about your cousin.

[silme.livejournal.com]

About 20 years ago, my cousin Frank died at the age of 40 of a heart attack. It was a wake-up call for my brother, also age 40 at the time and rather out-of-shape and overweight. :(

My condolences. Too many people I know, including me, have had too many loved ones die recently.

[bardiphouka.livejournal.com]

Indeed..seems to have been a common factor for the year for some reason.

I'm sorry, Tim

[idic-writer.livejournal.com]

Hang in there.

Re: I'm sorry, Tim

[bardiphouka.livejournal.com]

I always do..not sure how sometimes..but I always do.

[misslunakitty.livejournal.com]

Deepest condolences. :(

[belgatherial.livejournal.com]

bardiphouka. I am so sorry. *dragonhugs*

[rorschach99.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about this, amigo. You have my sympathy. My older brother died in '98. I'm now three years older than he was at the time. It was a pretty traumatic event for me. I actually dramatically altered my life style because of it, and began to focus much more on spending time with friends/family. You expect grandparents, and even parents, to die eventually. You don't expect it of brothers in their 40's. The wife and I were having a discussion about this topic (peer deaths) recently, because of her sister-in-law having cancer. Sadly, my friend, I think we're entering a phase of life where we will lose an increasing number of siblings/friends/cousins - or they will lose us. We're not young men anymore, you and I. It's inevitable, but I'm not anxious to embrace it. I do what I can to stave off my own time, not because I'm afraid of dying, but because I'm afraid of leaving people behind while they still need me. I have grandbabies. I plan to hang around and watch them grow up, if I possibly can.

Anyway, you have my condolences.

--rorschach99