Cousin Jimmy

My second cousin Jimmy is a priest and has been for 25 years. Yesterday, there was a celebration for him, his silver jubilee. It was great to see him again and to see how loved and respected he is. He must've felt great too. Some many people got up and spoke about Jimmy, many recounting funny stories and experiences they shared with him. Jimmy is a great speaker and I enjoyed his homily; wished it was longer. While yesterday was a happy occasion, it did make me a little sad. All these people knew Jimmy so well, better than me, a relative. I wish I saw him more often. I always enjoy conversations with him. He is a wonderful man.

We don't have a large family at all. In fact, My mom (his first cousin), my brother and I are his only living relatives. And he made it a point to acknowledge us in his final words. He said, "I don't have much of a biological family at all, in fact they're all at just one table." He pointed to us and everyone looked our way and clapped. This made me feel good. I felt proud to be related to Father White (or cousin Jimmy as I've always known him.)

What a great day. I hope to see more of Jimmy in the future. I want to be included with the lucky others that are close to him, know him so well and have my own stories to tell about him at his next anniversary celebration.

I am glad that Jimmy will be the officiator at my wedding. I look forward to that immensely.