My sweet cousin Maxine lost her vibrant and talented husband Irv this week.

Because of this we will all see each other on Sunday to mourn his passing and hopefully give some comfort to Mac.

Whenever the family gets together I think about how it was when we were growing up.

Our families were very close. Maxine and Barbara were the children of my mother Pearl’s older brother Louie and his wife Ray. Uncle Louie and my dad not only worked together but my father loved him like a brother. My mother and my Aunt Ray were best friends. They were somewhat competitive but they laughed together a lot so that made up for it.

My three sisters and I were always together with Maxine and Barbara throughout our childhood.

My older sisters, Iris and Phyllis spent most of their time with Maxine and  Marcia and I with Barbara. In fact the three of us went to Camp Highmount together.

When I say that I was with Marcia and Barbara it was only because they had to drag me along.

Speaking of Camp Highmount, it doesn’t hold very good memories for me.

I was homesick all the time. I remember being shocked that there were kids in my bunk who actually chose to go to camp. To me it was something you had to do.

I remember trying to hold in my tears when my parents were saying good bye at the end of parent’s visiting weekend because my mother told me if I cried she wouldn’t come back again.

“Nice parenting, , Pearlie”

I guess she was right though. I should have been tougher. After all I was 5 and it was only a sleep away camp for 8 weeks.

EIGHT FUCKING WEEKS! FIVE YEARS OLD!!

But it didn’t do me any damage. I’m sure that the reason I don’t like to leave my house for more than a week has nothing to do with that. And surely my inability to travel much has no effect on my being a travel writer.

………… (this is me trying to pull myself together so I don’t call mommy a bitch)

But I loved my mother and I love my cousins and all their kids and I wish we were getting together for something happier but happy or sad we’ll deal with it better together.

Rest in peace, Irv.