Everyone remembers my cousin Carol's quick wit, but did you know she had a sweet and loving side? Growing up in Hyattsville,Md., she had a tough life. Her parents, my Aunt Eileen and Uncle Clem, were both hardworking people who never rose to that level of financial success that some people did. Yet Carol was always grateful for the things she had and she never complained about a lack of anything. Instead, she always sought to enrich everyone else's life with what she did have: her kind and loving heart and, of course, her amazing sense of humor. Did I tell you that, despite knowing her my entire life, I can't ever recall a time I heard her raise her voice in anger. Surely she must have, but I don't recall it. We will see each other again and we'll laugh at all the bad things we did growing up but for now, I'm sworn to secrecy. I don't want her to have to raise her voice to me. It would be a first.

Cousin Carol, I've always loved you and I always will......

Fun and friendly. I never left time spent with Carol without a smile. Above all, though, I always felt challenged (and successfully so) to rise to her level of wit while decending to her level of risque honesty. She was not shy in that way, and she expanded my realm of how a mom could make life that much more rich. And she seemed gleeful in doing so.

Some moms bake cookies. Some give rides. Other moms hire people to TP the houses of their son's annoying friends.

Carol left quite an impression, and 2 pretty good kids as well.

I think there is going to be a common theme here and it's an accurate one.

My mom made people laugh wherever she went. Her wit was a wonderful gift and she was almost never at a loss for something funny to say. Not once did I visit a doctor or hospital or care facility and not be told by staff how much she brightened their days.

I miss you Mama.

1st- Thank you Jon for setting this up after we talked about it yesterday.

One of the biggest things I’m going to miss about my mom is her sense of humor. She would listen & laugh but she also wasn’t shy -at all- for telling a risqué if she had one. May Jon & I be lucky enough to have some of that humor, know when to laugh, to tell a joke and not take life so seriously.
Miss you Ma! ❤️❤️