My last aunt passed away this week. Now my mother, her brothers, and her sisters-in-laws are no longer with us.

I’m afraid I didn’t know my Aunt Mildred as well as my other aunts. Her husband, who was my Uncle Leon and who was my mother’s middle brother, died when I was in high school. She later remarried and as so often in situations like this families drift apart.

I attended Aunt Mildred’s funeral today and learned that she was 89 when she died. I discovered many things about her, such as her involvement with her community and county. Looking back, I wish I had known her better.

Today my cousins and I realize that now we are the oldest generation in our family. We have already lost our oldest cousin earlier this year. With Aunt Mildred’s passing, we have lost all our parents. It’s a sobering thought. And today we also realize that many of their experiences are lost to us because they were never shared with us, their children.

One of the ministers at the funeral said that after her death, it was up to her daughters to be the glue that holds the family together. That is so true for us. We cousins try to meet each year (our cousins reunion), so we can be together under happy circumstances. Our aunts used to be there, too. We miss them.

Now I think that when we meet, we need to share our memories of our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and other relatives and share the stories they shared with us. Each of us have different experiences and memories of them. If we don’t, those memories will be lost to us and to future generations.

As you read this, I hope you think about being the “glue” for your family and sharing your stories before it’s too late. I wish I could ask Mother and others about the gaps that are there, but that opportunity has passed.