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I am told that my cousin who was not expected to make it to Thanksgiving 2022 has just passed away a year and a half later.
I guess taking up boxing when she was in her late 70’s made her quite a fighter.

My father’s parents had 2 children and 5 grandchildren.
I am now the oldest of them remaining with only by brother remaining with me on this side.

The ones proceeding me were 74.65, 78.61 and now 82.52 years old.
As I write this I am 60.534, so should have a few years based on their average.
It is a bit strange to me that the youngest died first and oldest died last. Maybe that speaks well of how it will go with me and my brother.

On my mother’s side with aunts and uncles, the youngest has been the only one to pass so far.
My aunt is 87.42, my uncle 91.74 and my mother 93.05. So above my cousins on my father’s side, although my father and his sister were both 85.3 years old, so older than any of their kids.

Only one of my cousins on my mother’s side has passed. The first one born back in 1961, he only made it to 1962.
All the others are still going with my cousin JoAnne in the lead at 61.88. (She was adopted, so not part of the age calculation, but my cousin in every other way.)

This leads me to a dilemma for my being an embarrassment to the family. As soon as my father died, his sister told me “I’m the oldest now and I cancel what he said. You are not an embarrassment and never were.”
So, the side I’m now oldest on that has been cleared.

But, the other side, my mother declared it and has never said anything to reverse it in the last 32.57 years since it was declared.
And, her brother has ignored me despite my living a 10 minute drive from him and several offers on my part to buy him dinner or meet up.
So, the odds are he won’t cancel it.
My mother’s sister probably would, but she isn’t doing too well.

My cousin has been in a coma for almost 2 years.
So, I’m used to missing her.
But, I’m still very sad she’s gone.
She was the first person on my father’s side of the family to reach out to me and teach me that relatives could be nice, supportive and pleasant to visit.
The magnitude of that can not be underestimated.