Give Thanks...To An Angel

 Knowing the news will come does not lessen the pain. I thought it would. I was wrong. We lost my cousin Kris on Friday...the news we hoped would not arrive but that we've been waiting for for six years finally arrived and claimed the life of a wonderful person.

Kris is my cousin, but also my sister in many ways and a saint to our family.

The year 1974 was as bad a year a family could have. We lost my dad, my mom's husband, to cancer in February of that year. To help us out, Kris moved into our home to attend high school and help my mom handle three young children aged ten, eight, and five. Though I never specifically asked my mom about how much of a help she was to the family and especially my mom, I know it was was invaluable. She was, in a word, a saint, sent to us when we needed her most.

That bond between her and our family remained for decades. When Kris married Zach, it was as if our older sister got married. And when Zach passed away the year after my mother, we morned him as a brother.

If you know Kris, you'll understand when I say she brightened any room she entered. She always laughed, even when I'm sure she felt otherwise. Like my own mother, she handled the passing of her spouse with grace, composure, and class. Many, in sharing their thoughts of Kris, commented on the reunion of Zach, her own mother, my mom, and so many others. I'm sure that reunion was glorious. Also, I should mention the love and support of Kevin,  the husband she left behind. Though I don't know him as well, he served as a friend and loving companion for my cousin as she fought the battles but lost the war.

We received the news yesterday. We knew the day of her passing was close, but when I read the notice sent from Kris's sister, it was tough. My generation of cousins are in our 40s, 50s, and 60s. There will be more to come, but Kris was special. I'm so grateful she has been such a big part of my life. I love her and I'll miss her.