
This week my beautiful cousin Shirley lost her battle with lung cancer. She was 52. She was an amazing woman, a great Mom, and recently became a grandmother for the first time. I have many happy memories with Shirley and her 2 bothers and 2 sisters. They became more like siblings to my family than just cousins. When they got together with my brothers and sisters, the 13 of us were inseparable. Her father was in the Air Force, and they were always on the move. I have memories of us visiting them all over the US. She had an amazing husband, and 3 beautiful kids. She and I could always pick right up where we left off - no matter how much time was in between. I visited her at their home in France in 1991 - she opened her home to me, and I can remember staying up late and laughing and telling stories. We took a walk one day, and she grabbed my hand and held on. It wasn't odd for us, but she whispered to me "Just watch my nosey neighbor bitches come outside any minute now. they'll want to know who the handsome man is I'm holding hands with. the man who is not my husband." we said hello, but she never told them who I was. She was amazing! I love you Shirley! (the pic I've posted is the 13 of us together as kids - circa 1968. I'm in the back row on the right - on my sister Anna's lap. Shirley is right next to me, holding my sister Geri.)