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My grandfather's death was really hard to deal with.

My parents were second cousins. That is enough to explain all of my peculiarities.

Since my brother died in 1982, my parents and I had formed a shaky tripod of a family; now that I'd lost my father too, it was too easy for me to glimpse a future point where I alone was the keeper of not just my own childhood memories, but of my family lore.

Even with my father and brother dying, I didn't quite process the grief.

I think we brothers realised his loss more and more as we grew older. We actually grew closer after his death.

My grandfather went through a lot in his life.

I had an older brother who passed away recently, an older sister and a younger brother.

I think about my father and how sad it was that he never had grandchildren.

My father and mother were second cousins, though they did not meet till shortly before their marriage.

My mother's sister was killed in a trolley car accident, so I was raised as one of eight with my sister and six male cousins.