My dad just called and said that he had some sad news. I assumed that he was setting me up for one of my older relatives having passed away. What he told me took me off guard and was shocking. My cousin Loren, who’s younger than me passed away while he was in Africa. I don’t know all the details, but apparently he was in some southern African country doing some sort of missionary work. He’s been there about a year. During that time he contracted malaria. He may not have been diligent about getting it treated. It or something else caught up with him. His wife and two daughters are still there. Two of them have pneumonia. Things are clearly not well right now.
I’m still processing. It’s been many years since I’ve had any meaningful contact with him, but I did spend a lot of time with him in my younger years. He was definitely a part and influence on my life. This is the second cousin that I’ve lost. Life is fragile and precious. Make the most of it because you never know how much you actually have.