...my poor cousin.
A cousin of mine just lost her husband...he was killed while on duty in Afghanistan. She's now a 29 year old widow with three small boys.
Our family is a little floored. And emotionally confused. He was a lifer (now more literal than anyone would have wanted) and he'd been away almost the entirety of their marriage. In fact, they pretty much got married and then he was deployed to Iraq. Then Afghanistan for so many tours I can't remember them all. It's strange to mourn someone we've never had a chance to meet...I suppose, in all truthfulness, we mourn for our cousin and the trials awaiting her. And three little boys who won't be able to remember their dad. I wish I had the chance to get to know *him* as a person, so I could feel sorrow for his loss, but I didn't and I can't. So strange.
Fortunately, and this will sound odd, she's been horribly ill and had complications from her gallbladder surgery. This means her mother (my first cousin) has been with her in Alaska to help with the children and the house. So, her mom was with her when they notified her today. My aunt has had the horrible task of calling everyone in KC.
My heart just breaks for her. And her boys.
Our family is a little floored. And emotionally confused. He was a lifer (now more literal than anyone would have wanted) and he'd been away almost the entirety of their marriage. In fact, they pretty much got married and then he was deployed to Iraq. Then Afghanistan for so many tours I can't remember them all. It's strange to mourn someone we've never had a chance to meet...I suppose, in all truthfulness, we mourn for our cousin and the trials awaiting her. And three little boys who won't be able to remember their dad. I wish I had the chance to get to know *him* as a person, so I could feel sorrow for his loss, but I didn't and I can't. So strange.
Fortunately, and this will sound odd, she's been horribly ill and had complications from her gallbladder surgery. This means her mother (my first cousin) has been with her in Alaska to help with the children and the house. So, her mom was with her when they notified her today. My aunt has had the horrible task of calling everyone in KC.
My heart just breaks for her. And her boys.