You're Always 17 In Your Hometown

I grew up in an itty bitty East Texas town. When I was there we only had one traffic light. It now has three, but that’s because the state highway built around the town and cars trying to cross the highway on their way to or from town were taking a beating. So, an overpass was built and two more signals put in. Now there’s a whopping three lights. That’s two too many for me. I don’t like “progress” messing with my memories. There’s a new high school. Instead of a bell they play classical music between classes. What in the heck is up with that? Actually, I think it is pretty cool. Not the lights, the classical music.

Anyway, a great guy in my hometown started an email list for anyone that loves the community to join. It has given birth to an “opinions” forum that a select few belong to. I think one of my opinions might have helped in that birthing process. It set the email list on its ear and there are heads probably still reeling from my bizarre views. I’m considered by some the liberal of the bunch. I choose to live in a fairly large city. Racial slurs send me over the edge. I believe if you make a statement you better be able to back it up, especially if you are trashing someone. Jesus is greater than ANYTHING. We should be reaching out to the “least of these”. I live in America because that is where God has put me, but I would move to a “less desirable nation” if that is where He wanted me to live. I don’t believe that our nation was built on Christianity. You get the picture. I’m not East Texas normal.

The great guy in my hometown that started the email list is hurting right now. His son is back in the hospital for the third time in two weeks. He has battled cancer, but the doctors don’t think that is what is going on right now, yet they haven’t ruled it out.

I grew up with Dick’s children. His son is a little older than me. Dick is a prince. He takes my kidding and harassment and dishes it right back to me. He is my kind of guy. I think some people were a little distressed by the way we went back and forth with our jabs, but he cleared it up that it was all in love and I explained that I only beat up on those I care dearly about.

Pray for Dick’s family. They are in pain. I was in bed, but I had this great urge to get this out.

We buried my cousin yesterday

She had just turned 47. Feeling horrible from a headache, Tammy drove herself to the emergency room. Entering, she collapsed and died. It turns out that she had a heart defect that she was probably born with. The doctor said there would have been no symptoms. She left behind a husband, son, daughter, and granddaughter. And lots and lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

We grew up in the same small East Texas town. The kind where everyone knows everybody. The funeral home was packed beyond capacity. Every possible space was used for overflow. My father's parents had 29 grandchildren. We have gone on to produce a huge number. Tammy was my oldest first cousin's first child. She beat her twin, Tim, by a few minutes. So the family took its fair share of the seats, but many classmates and townspeople filled the place. I saw people that I thought were old when I was a child.

This is the first time I have lost a cousin so close to my age. Maybe that is why it has been so hard. It has hung with me almost every minute since my sister called last Wednesday afternoon with the news. Tammy was a spitfire. She was more than happy to tell you exactly what she thought. She and her siblings were extremely close. Knowing that they were hurting and then witnessing it was horrific. My dad conducted the service. It wasn't his first time to bury a niece or nephew, but that doesn't make it any easier. He did a great job while displaying the sense of humor that keeps our huge family semi-sane.

At the viewing on Saturday night, my youngest son saw a boy and made the comment, "That boy in the green shirt looks suspiciously like me." I asked my mom who it was because he had walked further on and I couldn't see him well in the street light. The funeral home had been packed for the viewing and I hadn't noticed a kid in a green shirt. Mom said it was Tricia's (Tammy's sister) son. I told Clay that the reason they looked suspiciously alike was because they were cousins and it must be the Sapp genes flowing through them. What is weird is that they are fourth cousins and they do look alike.

So, our family will continue on. We will have more painful days. Many of us recognize Who is in control and that keeps us going. That makes our crazy family strong. That is why we can go for a long time and not see each other and yet take up where we left off as if we saw each other every day. Of course, many do still live in the small East Texas town or have found their way back over the years. They let us come back to visit from time to time and don't hold our desertion against us.

My cousin is gone, but she is remembered with love by a huge mess of people.