To be frank, when I got a call from my cousin David, I knew someone died, and at first I thought it might have been my uncle as he had heart surgery not that long ago. I never would have expected it was my cousin’s husband Dan.
Five years ago we attended their wedding. And here it is five years and two months later and we’re burying my cousin’s husband, age 38.
In all likelihood, he died due to COVID, but we will never know as my cousin opted out of an autopsy, which left me no other recourse but to do what I always do and connect the dots.
August 24th my aunt (mom’s sister, who is his mother-in-law) tested positive for COVID, and has been sloppily adhering to limiting in person stuff to people in her pod/bubble.
Three weeks later, he was found, stone cold dead on his kitchen floor. His co-workers came to the house when he wasn’t reached by phone.
Entirely plausible he had been exposed to COVID, if not this one time but likely multiple times by everyone in their “pod.”
So, three weeks after my aunt tested positive, there we all were in the funeral home to say goodbye to Dan and try to (feebly) support my cousin who was in shock.
The only people wearing masks in the funeral home besides myself was my cousin David & another cousin, and my aunt and uncle were both there bare faced. Of course my sister, brother, brother-in-law, and niece all were barefaced too.
The funeral home was a full house, and several people in attendance had persistent coughs.
This illustrates quite keenly my justification in avoiding family gatherings, that the majority of people sadly cannot be trusted to do the bare minimum to protect others or protect themselves. It is as if mom’s death meant nothing to them, and doesn’t even serve as a warning to them. Perhaps they have forgotten about her already.
