I’ve written before about my MacMu cousin Teri and that she died in April. A memorial was not immediately scheduled because you know why but as the vax rate has risen in our state, it was scheduled for today at Beggar’s Banquet, a restaurant in East Lansing. My cousin worked there when she was very young and still figuring out what she wanted to do with her life. The guy who became her husband was a frequent patron. This restaurant is also a fave of the GG and I and pre-COVID we would always eat there with our North Country Trail buddies the Friday night before the annual Quiet Water Symposium.

I resolved to attend this event even though I am an introvert and figured I would know ONE person there for sure and MAYBE two more. I have met Teri’s husband but it was a long time ago and I was distracted because it was at my daughter’s high school graduation party so I vaguely remembered him and I’m not sure he really remembered me at all. I was kind of silently on pins and needles all the way over there, self-medicating by working on a few xword puzzles that I wasn’t able to finish in the last few days. Fortunately the GG didn’t spend too much time huffing pistachio nuts and drove sanely and only put FOX radio on to listen to news about Cuba, which was interesting enough that I could tolerate FOX.

I needn’t have worried about the party. Yes, when we walked in, the place was filled (this was a private party) and I didn’t recognize anyone. As we walked “deeper” into the restaurant, we spotted the one person I KNEW I would know, Teri’s daughter Ana. As the GG leaned in to hug her, I noticed the other two people I thought might be there. Teri’s sister Sally (also my cousin of course) and her husband. I was overwhelmed by emotion and the choice of who to hug first. I chose Sally. She is 10 years older than me and Teri and I hadn’t seen her in a few years. I love them both equally.

Sally and I immediately started in with gabbling and cackling about our lives and the MacMu family’s own version of craziness and we could’ve gone on forever even though we both identify as introverts (which Teri was CERTAINLY not!).

Of course I also hugged Ana and before we left I made it a point to formally meet Teri’s husband Bee (Bill). When he heard my name, he asked if my last name was Finlayson. When I said yes, he asked for a hug and I gave him a good one.

So glad I attended that event and it didn’t matter how many people I knew because the main person I talked to (Sally) is one of my inner circle of most important people to me in my life. I’ve known her my entire life and she taught me an extensive color wheel through the Crayola 64-crayon box when I was something like five and I have never forgotten it.

Love y’all, KW

P.S. There are other friends and relatives who died throughout COVID, some from COVID, some not, who have still not had memorial events. I hope all of us can lay our dead to rest appropriately and as we need to.

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