Five

 RMS lost his wife GS just before Christmas - AE and I have been keeping in touch and visited him last month and plan another visit in early May.

JN lost her aunt in March and we were supporting her as we could (see previous entries "A funeral for someone I never met").

My aunt DC, also 99, just passed away on Easter Sunday.  AE and myself got to see her one last time a few weeks ago (during one of the weeks supporting JN).

Less than one day after my aunt passed away, AE's uncle ES in England suddenly passed away.  He was in the hospital for an operation, but unfortunately got an infection he wasn't able to fight off.

Finally, my cousin CDB in Victoria is at home basically waiting to die from terminal cancer.  I talked to her on the phone a few weeks ago and briefly just today.

About 20 years ago I realized that I was going have to say good bye to my aunts and uncles, in possibly quick succession, by about this time.  Not that I was able to plan emotionally for multiple deaths, but I really did not expect to also be hit by the additional good byes.  Young people (well, my age anyway) shouldn't leave this earth.  But they do.

But it doesn't matter how old someone is either.  Aunt DC has been in pain from a deteriorated hip for years - at the end, she was almost constantly sedated.  That is no quality of life, but death is final.

I just realized that as it stands, we'll be visiting RMS on the same day that we're picking up hanging baskets from my cousin DW - the sister to CDB.  Both DW and CDB lost their oldest brother (and my cousin) DanD only a few years ago.  And just before Covid, we lost cousin DavidD (actually their "double cousin" as my mother's three brothers married three sisters).

Connections.  They're everywhere.