Cousins

As a child, the children of my aunts and uncles were very special. When cousins visited, parents were distracted and we were free to roam and explore to our hearts' content. I remember hide and seek. I remember elaborate games of make-believe. I remember late night conversations. And laughter. And love.

Of course, this was long, long ago according to my children. They love their cousins very much and anticipate those special visits as much as I did as a kid; however, they have never even met some of my cousins because the river of life sometimes takes us in different directions. Recently, when the current carried me West, I discovered I would be "relatively" near one of my cousins.

Together we drifted down memory lane during lunch...though the scenery was a bit different this time as the seven children clamored around us thirteen years later. Luckily the kids knew their parents were distracted and the bonding began. Xander and Chayse were sharing high fives. The giggles of Nikela and Anya drifted down table. The details of these interactions were lost on the adults.

But the familiar face of childhood was not lost on me. There is something special about family...how you can sit down together and feel the comfort of familiarity despite the hiatus.

Second cousins...exhibit the energy of youth!





First cousins...young at heart!