From Iyra

 

Dear Rhett,

My precious cousin. I can still hear your hoarse voice when we were toddlers. 🥰 I love it. Whenever I hear a little kid with a hoarse voice it “sparks joy” in my heart because it makes me think of you and our childhood together. You were the cutest! We had the best childhood together. Camping, fishing with Papa, playing Nintendo, making forts at your house, playing in the tree house your Papa built, playing with fire, getting into mischief, Chester and Bridgette...

You have the generous, loving spirit of your Mama and Papa. Of our family. Of Grandma.

Rhett, I’ve always missed you. My affection for you has always been strong. I’ve had so much empathy for what you’ve been through. I’ve kept you in my prayers all these years. I’ve longed for a real heart to heart conversation with you. But I accept the short messages we exchanged through the years. I always wanted you to know I love you. And you’ve shown your love in your generosity. Thank you for sharing Beijing Restaurant with us, letting us taste the sizzling rice soup of our childhood memories at Xian Sun. Where our whole family would sit at the round table together and us kids would play with the lazy Susan and drink jasmine tea. We’d pour lots of sugar in our tea from the glass sugar dispenser with the metal top, with a flap that opened when you held it upside down. And then we’d stir it with our chop sticks. When we’d leave, we’d get a candy and then play on the wooden pillars outside and pretend they were giant lipsticks because it had a slant on the tops and some were our height. Or we’d try to climb them. Thank you for treating many of us to Han Sung and Newport Restaurant. That was incredibly generous of you Rhett. I have to cherish whatever adult memories I have with you. I love that they have to do with gathering around my favorite Asian foods. You fed and comforted our souls.

You showed your love for me and the girls with your gifts for them. Thinking about your family, nieces and nephews while you were on vacation ️. I remember how when I came to visit, you were tired and couldn’t hang out, but you handed the girls each an envelope. They opened it and I cried. You still wanted to show your love and you gave them each a hundred dollars!! Ayia and Evie saved it and later Evie bought her first brand new bicycle. Thank you.

I’m torn up that you’re asleep in death. But I am grateful you no longer have to suffer. This last week I’ve learned so much about you and I’m proud of you. You excelled in everything you did. You faced your fears and you got the help you needed all these years. I thank you for never giving up. I’m grateful that you were able to heal in such a beautiful place in Huntington and that you’ve had love and support from family and so many friends all these years. You are absolutely and wholly loved. We see the good in you that Jehovah God always has. You are safe and remembered perfectly in Jehovah’s awesome mind. He will bring your wonderful self back to life under perfect conditions like he promised us in the Bible. You will then be completely assured of His unfailing love for you.

I pray to be patient until that day comes. And to stay close to and learn more about our loving God as each difficult day comes. Because I know he wants me to and all of us to go to him for comfort. Because I know he will help me endure and take care of me just the way I need. You’ll be so comforted to know that Jehovah has taken incredible, miraculous care of your Mama and Papa and Matthew and Marian. He has and will continue to give them and all of us the comfort and care we need to endure the difficulty of life without you.

Rhett, when you wake up, oh I want to hug you for a long time. I look forward to you teaching me and my family how you cook and grill. You were so talented in everything you did. The girls like to roller blade. You can roller blade together ! We have a great life to look forward to on this beautiful earth Jehovah created and purposes for us. Teach me how to golf. Let’s go to Fort Ross again and I’d love to go to Korea with you and the Philippines! I realize that’s what I need to do when I get sad thinking about you and Grandma. I just need to look above for help from Jehovah and look ahead to being reunited with you both. I love you Cousin.

Iyra