Cousin David

A few weeks ago my dear cousin, David, was killed in a car accident.  It was such a shock to our family, and I still have a hard time believing it is true.  I have trouble finding words to express the sadness I feel when I think about him being gone and my heart aches for his sweet family.

David has always been a part of my life.  We were born just three months apart. The very first home videos I have are of us hugging each other when I was a toddler heading off to Illinois. So many of my childhood memories involve my cousins who were some of my very best friends.  I remember playing Nintendo, sleeping bag wrestling (which led David to get some stitches), riding the bus to Salt Lake to have sleepovers, playing lots of Risk and Monopoly, making Home Alone 3, and taking a trip to Palm Springs.

When we were in high school our friends became friends with each other and we had so much fun together.  We took many trips to the ranch with our friends and had many adventures.  He even showed up in a tux with his friends to perform at my 16^th birthday.  My friends all loved David because he was so much fun and he treated them so well.

We also spent many summers working together at my grandpa’s ranch where I have memories of burning thistle, barn dances, hikes, tubing, entering parades, and making movies.

David had a great love for people and made sure that everyone felt included.  People loved to be around him because he was so kind and genuine.  I honestly can’t remember him saying mean things to or about people.  He was extremely creative and constantly used his creativity to enrich others lives. He was constantly thinking of others and serving them up until the very end of his life.  I am so grateful for the blessing he has been to me.

I think my sister is much better at expressing things in words.  She wrote a wonderful description of him on her blog.  

This experience has caused me to reflect a lot on the things that are most important to me.  I have been reminded of how blessed I am to have a knowledge of our Heavenly Father's plan and to have been born into such an incredible family.  I am so grateful that our families can be together forever.