I found out exactly a week ago that my cousin, Joy (Burton) Good had been diagnosed with cancer in her liver. I found out Thursday evening that she had died on Tuesday, August 24.
Joy had just celebrated her 60th birthday on August 5. Her sister, Marcia, told me today that she had been ready to fight the cancer. She had a great attitude about it all. But then, it was Joy. She would have a great attitude. Friends, that is just the way she lived her life. She was truly a "Joy".
Last September, I was happy to reconnect with these cousins on my Dad's side of the family, the five daughters and one son of my Aunt Jean and Uncle Jerry. Unfortunately, it was at the funeral/memorial service for Uncle Jerry. Joy was the first one of the family to greet me. She was very upbeat, especially considering the circumstances. As Marcia said today, "None of us could have known that we would be together again today under similar circumstances." She told me that Joy had only been sick for about six weeks. She also said that the family was glad that she did not have to suffer a long, drawn out battle.
Joy and Don had been married for 34 years. He said at the funeral today that the best gift that Joy had ever given him was being a part of this family. He said, "Jeanie, I love you," to my Aunt Jean. He expressed his appreciation to everyone for showing up today.
I remember many visits with Aunt Jean and Uncle Jerry when they lived in Elwood and we lived in Tipton. The girls were almost all older than we were. It was a great arrangement, as far as I was concerned. I had a lot of prom dresses to choose from on an occasion where I needed a formal for a chorus concert that I was in. The girls were Beth, Marcia, Joy, Barb and Kelly. Kelly was the closest to our age. I think she was just a little younger than me. Of course, Kelly is the one I remember the best. But Joy was still special. And she hasn't changed. I became even more aware today that she had lived up to her name. Joy. Her Mom said it best: "She was a joy!" She touched a lot of people in her daily life.
I found out today that her favorite color was red. She wore it often, and accented it with white and black. We were provided with red, white and black ribbons to tie onto a plant in her memory. Don was going to take it home with him after the service.
I just want to say, in memory of Joy, that life is relatively short. You aren't promised tomorrows. We all need to learn to cherish and appreciate each other more today. You never know what an impact you may have on friends and family. Love extravagantly. Spread the JOY!
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