Cousins

If you read my other blog you are aware that today is Cousin’s Day. If you read this one, you now know it. Hey, thanks for reading!

I have many cousins, Lorene, Ken, Mike, Mark, Darrell, Aaron and Judy just to name my firsts. (No I have not forgotten Steven and Cathi who have already gone on to the big family reunion in the sky, if you believe in that sort of thing). There are so many second cousins, and probably third, fourth and fifth cousins, not to mention (I know, I am mentioning it) all of the once, twice and thrice removed. Phew.

I have included my cousin Judy on the living list because I hope she still is, although we have not heard from her in, wow, nearly 20 years. Her birthday was last week. I remember it every year just as if it were one of my sister’s birthdays. Well, she sort of is. When she was 14/15 years old and I was 9ish, Judy and her sister Cathi came to live with us after Dad’s mom died. When push came to shove, Mom and Dad stepped forward and took in my cousins.

I don’t recall there being any animosity between us girls. No apparent sibling rivalries or anything like that. You see all kinds of stories about thee ‘real’ kids fighting with the ‘adopted’ kids. But, I don’t think there was anything like that ta the time. I feel like the three of us “real daughters” adored and wanted so badly to always be around the “cousin daughters”.  And although I know there were issues when Judy and Cathi left to return living with their mother, I feel like I was sad to see them go.

I am just as sad to think about a celebration day like today and not be able to celebrate with her. I think that if my other cousins knew that today was Cousins Day, they would know that I think about them and hope they think about me. Mike, Judy, Cathi, Lorene, Ken, Darrell, Mark and Aaron, where ever you are know that I am thinking of you and wish we all could be closer in spirit as well as physical distance.