Family

Another of my uncles passed away this morning and I'll be preparing soon to go back home to Arkansas for the funeral.

My grandparents had 14 kids, 13 boys and 1 girl (my mother). 2 died at birth, 1 in a fire, 1 drowned. That left me with 9 uncles; Leroy, Jack, Mike, Eugene, Clarence, Leonard, Henry, Bartley and Doyle. Uncle Leroy died before I was born of Polio. My grandfather passed away of a heart attach in 1991, my uncle Jack in January of 2000, my grandmother of breast, lung & brain cancer in February of 2000, my uncle Eugene of lung cancer last year. And now my uncle Mike today of lung, brain & stomach cancer. My uncle Bartley has been diagnosed with lung cancer and been given 3-6 months, maybe longer with treatment. That's not a good record for a single family, even a large one like mine.

I grew up with all my family almost side by side and we were close. I miss all my family who's passed before me and I'm grateful to still have so much left. So many people don't and that's just sad.