Memorial Monday - Family Reuniting

Not to get confused with the Memorial Day which is actually next Monday, this post is about a memorial day we had during the weekend.  Jeff and I plus my MIL attended a memorial for the father of Jeff's cousin Gracie.  It was very simple but very touching as their family gathered and remember their Dad.  No big speeches but a few members of the family told stories of how they remembered Larry (father, grandfather, uncle, step dad, friend).  I have never met this man but it was important for us to be there for Gracie.  We met the rest of her siblings, some even came as far as Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nevada, and other parts of California.  What I did not know about Larry was that he originally came from Newfoundland, that's Canadian eh!.  There were some other cousins who we met for the first time.  Although it was a sad day to remember Larry, it was a happy day because the family got together to help celebrate his life.  Sometimes when you attend one of these memorial, there's a rush of emotions that comes back because for whatever reason, each and everyone have lost a loved one.  Do you understand how you get a cousin once or twice removed?