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Dennis Bernard Cook
Dennis was born in Chicago, Ill, the third of five children. Dennis came along to help fill a large void in mama's heart. I can't imagine the lost of child but if I had to I know my heart would just aches at the thought. God gave mama another son as a gift to help mend her heart.
Istruggle to think of sharing my thoughts about my brother but here I go. Dennis treasured his relation-
ships we had a children and teens, I know this because we talked about the old days all the time. He loved his times with his brother and cousins. Growing up together had many challenges, I being the oldest met with resistant from Dennis as we grew up. He would often tell me I couldn't tell him what to do but in fact I could because our parents would leave me in charge. So if you know Dennis the fight was on but no matter how much we fought each other nobody better bother me or him. I felt he had my back even though he was younger. We fought as we grew up, we had some good times and who knew that we would become cowork- ers too. I never thought much about our relationship I just knew we would grow old together. In our many talks I can't say we always saw eye to eye but I can say we would hug tell each other we would see each other later. Rarely, did we say I love you but it didn't seem to be needed. On September 25th our last conversa- tions, he came to asked me about my birthday trip to Las Vegas. I was excited to shared what I could recall, I told him he needed a boys trip to Vegas and Las Vegas was an adult playground and if he should get Mark and the boys and go they would have a ball. I can't say our entire conversation was a happy one, he was
frustrated with what was going on in his life at that particular time but he didn't let it show. He almost made the situation seem trivial when it was far from it. Of course, I heard shoot many times during our conversation but this was, as you all know Dennis favorite word. As I look back on that day, I am so very grateful that God let me have one more talk with him. Oh! How I missed those talks about the past, about our chil- dren and about Mark and Jacki. Yes, we talked about you all, what we thought was great about you and what we didn't care for that’s what older siblings do and we talked about what our aunts and uncles do when they get together. We even hash out or our own issues with each other over the years. I only wish that I said I love you more, that we could have talks about our grandchildren and maybe perhaps just visit each other again on the job. You never know what life and God has in store for you, do not let a day past where you do let the ones you feel close too not know how much you love them. As I sat down to write his eulogy, my head became empty from memories it was at that moment all I could do is cry. I couldn’t remember what he liked or loved, I must have cried for over 3 hours trying to remember. So I broke out the pictures so I could start on other page but as I went through all the old family photos the memories begin to flood me with memory upon memory. Me and Dennis at Big Mama and Big Daddy’s house in Arkansas, getting easter baskets from Easter Bunny, to when the chicken’s were pecking at his butt and driving to town with Big Daddy and Auntie Doshie. I look at pictures that remind me of the many family get together we had growing up. Dennis fam- ily reminded me of his love of football, teenage mutant turtles, cartoons like speed racer and his love of sweets. I love my brother and miss him and I know he watching over us all. I know we all have our own relationship and memories of Dennis but I knew him the longest and I will carry him with me for life.
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