Jocelyn D. Branham Earnest - Site Memorial Online

Well Jocelyn, didn't have a very good day today, went through Roberts Garden, Wow how many memory's we shared there. I closed my eyes while sitting at the basketball court and I saw us running up and down the court, of course when It was one on one needless to say you won. Of course I put up a good fight. Opened my eyes and realized It was over 20 years later and my best friend was taken out of our lives to soon, then going around seeing your old apartment It felt like I was going to see you like I did every day that you weren't at mine house. Oh Joce I so we wouln't have lost touch for so many years, but I have your good friends Jennifer, Marcy and Maysa to fill me In on the years I missed. I have our good years of memory's in my heart, I was so blessed for you being In my life! Our 20 year reunion Is coming up wow 20 years can you believe It, It is going to be so hard without you there, but I will have a seat right beside me empty for you! Because thats where you would be just like It was in school right beside me. I am working really hard to get your jersey retired I know that is something you would love to see and would want me to do, I promise I wont rest until its done.  Joce I am really worried about your Mom and sister they miss you soooo much and I told your Mom the other day I was going to go over and kidnap your sister to get her out of her house, but I can say she got me hooked on the Wii, we have a rematch coming soon. I  try my best to check In on them as much as I can, and I know they need there time by themselves,  I feel so much closer to you when I am around them talking about the good old days or just crying togther. I love them Joce , they are my second family remember!! I think of you every single day and part of my heart will be in pain forever because of the void of you not being here. I love you Jocelyn and I miss you. Like you always ended everything LYLAS #21......... Brenda  

Hey Joce!  Guess what, I still miss ya, always will!  You were the person I loved most in this world and I don't quite know how to pick up the pieces yet!  I do know that when I do, they will form a different picture of life for me.  The books I read talk about a "new normal".  Nothing feels like it will ever be normal again, heck our relationship wasn't "normal".  OK, maybe it was for siblings... but man we were so close and I am so proud you stood beside my at my wedding and I could see how very proud you were of me, even in a time where I could see - sister sense - things were topsy turvy for you... but HEY, it made you a stronger person and you were the happiest you have ever been.. in a LONG time!  I am so very thankful for that.  You had a great emotional support system from your friends, family and others.  Anyways, I was cleaning out some of my basement the other day getting rid of books and such.  I hold on to every book I have that has your name in it (I probably "borrowed" them at some point in my life... ha ha ha)!  I was glad to know you kept Green Eggs and Ham at Mom's as that book, with all its wear, has many memories and I know was your favorite!  I also came across my A Treasures Trove book and the neatly organized file I created (with your help).  I don't think I have ever been so anal about anything before nor since in my life :-)  I remember coming down and just spending all weekend out by the pool trying to decipher the beetle and spider.  Man, you were sooooo close!  And of course it had to be the closest one to us!  Even though we didn't find any treasure we sure had a lot of fun doing it (just like the diamond mine)... course I will forever see a knot hole in a tree and think of you!  Ha Ha Ha!  I love ya sis!!!

Hey Joce!  Kinda a crappy day but I do manage to find peace and happiness every day which is comforting.  I just miss you so very much!  I miss our conversations, seeing your smile, doing our silly things!  I feel robbed and blessed at the same time.  I always try and focused more on the blessed part though!  I love you and I will always have a space in my heart for you!  Well, I am sitting here drinking a glass of wine out of the glass we got at the Virginia Garlic Festival.  I am so glad I was able to spend that time with you this year and I will forever think of you as I sip chardonnay from it!  I was filling out a Myspace survey (I know, I know... not the most productive thing I could do with my time).  It was about the 1980's and so much of it brought back memories of you.  I remember you making fun of me for wearing my extremely uncomfortable jelly shoes simply because they were the fashion trend, making friendship bracelets with you.. walking to McCroys to get more yarn, watching the smurfs with you and you making fun of the amount of Aqua Net I used... lol!  We had such great times growing up!  Remember when I would ride on the handlebars on the pink Huffy bike then one day, whoop, the bars came loose, I fell back onto you and we wrecked!  That was hilarious... a little painful but funny!  I just wanted to pop in and tell you I love you and I think of you every day!  I miss you from my sight and sound but you are even closer in my heart and thoughts!  I love you Joce!

I stopped by Mom's today and went into the room you stayed in when you would come (my old bedroom).  I wanted to flop in bed just like I would do when you were still sleeping and you would give me that smirky grin with your one eye opened.  We would lay in bed and talk, me avoiding your breath at all costs :-)  I was going through some photos and newspaper articles.  There were wonderful photos of us together, you holding my hand when I was 2 1/2, us at Assateague in our mom-made bathing suits (not stetchy by the way) looking like little toothpicks!  We had such fun and loved the wild horses!  Remember burying each other up to our heads (and then Dad put sand boob piles on yours..lol).  I was looking through your certificates of achievement - academic and athletic!  Even our old softball team pic with Brenda and Sheri.  Newspaper articles of your basketball career and even one with a note sent by Coach B when they named you as being selected to play for WVU.  I am so very proud of all of your accomplishments, which I know I told you all the time, and I am so proud of the wonderful woman you became.  You are amazing - a business woman, still the athlete, a mother figure, a true friend, a carpenter, a photographer, a humaitarian, a nature lover, a painter, a bargain finder and so many, many more titles you wore!  You lived a more fulfilled life rich in memories, experiences, friends and family than many live in a lifetime to the ripe old age of 90.  I find such peace in knowing that YOU were WONDERFUL yet you didn't flaunt it, you didn't walk around with your chest extended full of pride!  You were a great person and more than you thought that of yourself, others felt that of you!  I miss you every single day and my life will always have a space for you, but I know that you are more woman, more person, more Christian than some will ever be and we were so lucky to be blessed with an angel here on earth!  I love you!

OK, so, in typical "Laura is an animal sucker" fashion I pull up lastnight to a meow, meow!  There is a yellow tabby cat with long hair, a white belly and white paws zig zagging in between my legs.  We gave him some food and he was hungry!  So, it was COLD lastnight so we let him stay inside.  Now, he is affectionate to the dog, cat and even suckled on my sweatshirt (loud at that!).  I called the Humane Society and noone has reproted him missing... ahhhhhh!  What to do, what to do!  He is so cute... reminds me of Patches with the long hair... infact, Emory has been calling him Harry.. lol.  Guess we may have a new member of the family Joce!  You would like him!  I love you!