The cousin I grew up with was my age. For many years, I'd go to her house for a couple of weeks during our summer break from school. She was the oldest of 7 kids, and to me, this large family was a little slice of heaven. There was always lots of commotion, noise, food, and tons of fun. There was never a quiet moment, and that was OK with me. My house was too quiet, with both my parents working and a surly little sister — well, I was ready for summer and to get going. Fortunately, I was able to spend some time with my cousin — we loved going to the lake and lying in the sun, going to the local county fair and checking out the boys, and watching TV with her siblings in the evenings. It didn't hurt that my aunt was an awesome cook, and what I loved most were her homemade French fries. Oh my gosh, I can smell them now. I had so much fun during those summers. It was wonderful having a female cousin my own age. And every summer, she and I would also meet up for a couple of weeks at my grandmother's house. We used to walk to the public pool to swim, pick berries for cobblers, and bake later that evening. And yes, over time we've indeed grown apart, but I still have those summertime memories, and I cherish them. I love seeing her and her siblings every few years and reminiscing. Those were the days!
The cousin who has become my sister/friend is someone I didn't particularly like when I was growing up. She was my sister's age, and they hung out together, and they were tattletales. Yes, they really were. I caught on about age 8 or 9, and that's when I began to set them up. Man, was I a little devil or what? I'd say a bad word, and they'd run screaming into the house to tell on me, and later, when questioned by my mother, I would bat my little brown eyes and say — no, Mom, I would never say that. Hopefully, I've changed a bit. Although my husband might beg to differ.
Eventually, we both grew up, got married, and had our babies. And then my cousin moved to the little town where I lived. I couldn't really ignore her now, could I? So, I began to invite her to come over, to go places with me, and to attend our church, pretty much anything I did I invited her. And within just a few short months, we became besties, cousins/friends; she was one of my peeps — my people. It turned out I liked her. She was sweet, kind, honest, and best of all, she loved her kids deeply. We started doing everything together. We'd go camping and shopping, take the kids to the library, go to lunch, have family game night, and generally just have fun. She's now one of my closest friends. It's hard living so far away, but she comes to visit, and I go out and visit her. We laugh and eat and shop, and our husbands think we're so crazy, which makes us laugh even more. I'm so thankful for her and her friendship, and I'm so grateful that she's my cousin.
And then there is the one I call — the one who took my place. My mother's sister, my aunt, had 3 boys. One boy was my age, one a year older, and one 2 years older. They weren't so bad. We'd play all sorts of games, and we'd have a lot of fun — mostly hunting for tree frogs. I loved going to my aunt's house. She didn't have a little girl, so I proudly stepped in. She'd brush my hair and put little bows in it. She'd let me help out in the kitchen and stir the cookie batter, and she generally just made me feel special--the only girl. But then one day it all changed. She had an unexpected surprise. A little baby girl. I didn't want to like her — not at all. The minute my aunt was done feeding, changing her, and putting her down for a nap, I'd run into the room with brush and bows in hand, and thankfully, she was always patient with me. She reassured me in her own way. I guess she knew--I was jealous--very jealous. I was only 7 years old and was very afraid of being displaced. But this little baby girl eventually won my heart. I don't remember her ever crying or fussing. No, she was all smiles and giggles--always laughing, and as she grew up, always very special. To me, she became like another little sister.
Looking back now, she really became her mother. She looks like her, acts like her, and has a heart like her. My aunt is gone now. I think of her often, and I am thankful for my cousin who took my place — where would I be without her?
My cousins-I love them.
And then there is the one I call — the one who took my place. My mother's sister, my aunt, had 3 boys. One boy was my age, one a year older, and one 2 years older. They weren't so bad. We'd play all sorts of games, and we'd have a lot of fun — mostly hunting for tree frogs. I loved going to my aunt's house. She didn't have a little girl, so I proudly stepped in. She'd brush my hair and put little bows in it. She'd let me help out in the kitchen and stir the cookie batter, and she generally just made me feel special--the only girl. But then one day it all changed. She had an unexpected surprise. A little baby girl. I didn't want to like her — not at all. The minute my aunt was done feeding, changing her, and putting her down for a nap, I'd run into the room with brush and bows in hand, and thankfully, she was always patient with me. She reassured me in her own way. I guess she knew--I was jealous--very jealous. I was only 7 years old and was very afraid of being displaced. But this little baby girl eventually won my heart. I don't remember her ever crying or fussing. No, she was all smiles and giggles--always laughing, and as she grew up, always very special. To me, she became like another little sister.
Looking back now, she really became her mother. She looks like her, acts like her, and has a heart like her. My aunt is gone now. I think of her often, and I am thankful for my cousin who took my place — where would I be without her?
My cousins-I love them.
2 comments:
Wow! Veda, I love you. I read your posts about every other week when I have a break at work. Now I am sitting here at work...with tears. Happy tears. Thanks. I love you.
I love you too, little cousin!
Post a Comment