A Brave Cousin

[Guest Vickie O'Neil]

In the process of Christmas & Cards...I ran across a card my cousin had sent me 5 years ago...Good Lord, I keep everything forever!

My cousin, Barbara was dying from Breast Cancer, & I had called her, written her....my cousin planned her own funeral! The card said simply ..I've been thinking of you ever since our last conversation...I want you to know that I have all the confidence that your goals will be met.

You are a strong, confident smart & funny woman who has the skills to do anything. You have a kind & caring heart.....

I have learned

That in Time

Even Chaos

Reveals its Rhyme.

This is my cousin speaking to me on her death-bed...trying to lift Me Up!!! I'm so humbled, by her pure courage.

Makes one think

[karenb]

Beautiful....thank you for sharing.

Karen

[lucia]

they're amazing right?

those words are beautiful

{{hugs}}

[leeann]

Wow Vickie... thanks for sharing that with us.

She must have been an amazing woman. AND... she's still lifting up others.... even now.

Thanks

leeann

[JeanneC]

Vickie:

Some people, in times of their own struggles, have courage and compassion. You don't find many people like that.

That is wonderful that you found that card. It can give you a lot of strength and inspiration.

Love,

Jeanne

[marsha]

Vickie - being a pack rat t'aint so bad (hear the southern woman in me??) - a simple, yet eloquent poem. It's good that you remember your cousin - like you're going to forget? She sounds like she was a strong woman - like you. Peace, Marsha

[Guest Vickie O'Neil]

How did Barbara get so strong? She was an only child, had it ALL, her own Pony, her own room, Country Club membership, her Dad had his own airplane...you name it, Barb had it, Home Coming Queen, etc. In Plainview Nebraska that's having it all. I looked forward to the box of hand me downs my Aunt sent me every year, Barb had beautiful clothes....I was very jealous as a kid.

When I met Barb as an adult, we had fun, she had a great sense of humor, poked fun at her parents bigotry, & obsession with her weight, & was not the least bit stuck on her self. She had been trying to have a child for sometime, & told me she was going to Adopt a Black child, just to upset her Dad. I think she was tired of being the "Poster Child" for her parents....sort of a Symbol of their affluence. My Aunt had trouble with the fact that Barb was always plump, & not slim & lovely like herself. It embarassed my Aunt. Barb always ate dessert!

Barb did have a child, & then adopted a child, too, although it was white, her Dad never accepted that child as his grandson. Barb told her husband that she wished him to marry as soon as possible after her death, & did not want him, nor their 2 Sons to be alone.

The church in Lincoln, Nebraska was standing room only, 275 people showed up, & hey that's a lot of people for a little town. We flew in from around the country, Aunts & Cousins drove in from South Dakota to Honor Barb. She touched many lives, besides mine.

Always eat dessert, stay true to your own principals in spite of pressure, & never fail to help someone else up. Those are Barbara's Lessons to Me.