Friday, April 11, 2008

My cousin, Ricky, passed away tonight after being taken off life support earlier today.
My thoughts are all over the place as I think about his children and his mother and brother. I got off the phone with my mama and just cried for a few minutes before I came in here to do  what I do best and write about my feelings. 
Ricky and his brother, Randy, were like older brothers to me when I was growing up. I spent many summers around both them and  their families and they helped me become the woman I am today.
I wanted to share one memory of Ricky that stands clear in my mind... he was taking me home from Tater Town, the family business. We were driving fast with the music turned up loud... I don't know where we were going, but I remember he was driving fast.
The song in the tape deck was "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
Every time I hear that song I think of Ricky and that trip... it's a good memory that I'll always have of Ricky.
People have demons that consume them and make them different  than they would normally be. I choose to remember how kind and fair he was to me and to love him despite his flaws.
I'm thinking of his children and family and am sad for all of them.
Here is a song to you cousin and to our drive so long ago.

2 comments:

Megan said...

I'm sorry to hear that about your cousin. It is funny the things that we remember about people, our little mental outtakes from life that focus our memory on one little instance that can make us smile and remember good times.

Suzana Stucka said...

I'm so sorry about Ricky's passing, Sharon. =(