So I’m in Ft Worth, Tx. My cousin Stephen Dean used to live here. He was killed in a car accident at this very spot (Dec 6 2016). Idk why I wanted to see it, but I did.
So Andrew and Sea Bass (not his real name) and I went to see it. I shared the only beer in the cooler with him and we played a couple of hands of poker.
I guess I should tell you that we were both preacher’s kids. And my family is pretty conservative as you can imagine. So sometimes being with my family was kinda like being at church. You know how you are your best self when you're at church? And we as cousins separated by usually about 1000 miles we never got to hang out just us. Like friends would.
Well once I was in Dallas and I called him and invited him over. He said should I bring beer? Uhhhhh. Yes.
So we hung out, had a few beers and talked like friends who had known each other all our lives, loved each other all our lives, but didn’t really know each other. And we got to know each other that night.
A couple of days later we decided to go to Oklahoma to play poker. Our parents would hate this idea to no end on a million different levels for at least that many reasons.
So tonight I shared another beer with my cousin. We played Texas hold ‘em until Stephen won.
If you are from Indiana or Ohio you might be familiar with Euchre. As kids on Christmas we’d play just about non-stop minus breaks for memas fresh baked bread.
So I left him a euchre deck too, with score cards cause what’s the point if you don’t keep score?
I miss you Stephen. I remember your laugh and your smile. I remember that I never regretted being in your presence. I love you cuz. RIP.
August 28, 2022 by Shane Songer
I added a couple pics of Shane and Stephen from family reunion 2012.