PASSING OF THE WIFE OF MY AGE 75 FIRST COUSIN (published 10-31-2020)

George Ferrell was an older brother of my father, Earl Ferrell. Dad and Uncle George are now both at Home. Uncle George and his wife, Aunt Blanche, who is also at Home, had three sons. Waymon, one of their sons and my first cousin, is 15 years older than me.

Sadly, that first cousin’s wife, Mary Ruth, left this world on Sunday, 10/11/2020. I haven’t seen my first cousin since 2012, in Johnson City, Tennessee. His elder brother and he met me. We met at the apartment where their mother, my Aunt Blanche, was still living. Aunt Blanche enjoyed seeing two of her sons and me at the same time! (Aunt Blanche went Home the following year.) My two first cousins and I had lunch together, after visiting their mother. Since then, I have spoken with my first cousin a few times by phone. He lives about a 1.75-hour drive northeast of us in Kingsport, Tennessee.

I left a memorial tribute to my cousin's wife on the obituary page of the funeral home’s website. My wife and I couldn’t attend the visitation and funeral service or the graveside service, since they were both on our work days.

On Sunday, 10/18/2020, I called my first cousin. We talked for about 45 minutes. He has two brothers, who live in the area. The sons of his wife and he and their families all live a few hours drive away from him. My first cousin is enduring the grief of losing his wife, whom he loved dearly. I remember how Dad endured the grieving process, after Mom “went to see Jesus,” as she had stated, before her passing.

I do not wish to speculate about Mrs. Appalachian Irishman's and my future departures from this life. The Good Lord knows. It’s better that we do not know.

Life is a slow transition from birth to death. From an everlasting perspective, temporal life is a blink of an eye, as we live on this earthly speck of dust called Earth. The slow transition continues. Life consists of good, bad, and ugly events, with an apology to Clint Eastwood. If we accept the Good Lord’s free gift offer of salvation through his Son and if we live accordingly by faith, then our everlasting Home in heaven awaits us! My first cousin’s wife, like many others, arrived at Home before we, who remain here.

Mary Ruth must be having a wonderful time at her everlasting Home. Eventually, it will be my turn, but not today, as far as I know.