The word family has so many feelings attached to it that the word itself almost encompasses a world of whirlwind emotions. Three syllables that carry a lifetime of sentiment. I am lucky in the fact that my family {for the most part} accepts my quirkiness and inability to cease talking. I have many cousins, but one is closest to my age {and heart}; luckily we share children who are relatively close in age also--well, the gap isn't so large that they don't mind being with each other.
I adore my cousin. She is funny, smart, beautiful and forgiving. She has seen and done things that I know that if I dare attempt my guts would stir up an internal organ revolution and leave my body. We have always clicked. We did not grow up close as in geography close, but I think that didn't hurt the women we have become and the friendship we have cultivated. I often wished that we did--grow up geographically close that is. We are able to make each other laugh and I never, I mean never have to explain my sense of humor because she gets it. I'm sure we are genetically coded to laugh at the same quirky things.
My cousin, her daughter and her former husband visited us and we all enjoyed an excellent trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. The best part of our friend/cousinship is that our kids "get" each other as well. I have the troublemint twins and she has a great little girl who was celebrating her seventh birthday. It was if they saw each other everyday and today they just happened to be meeting at Disneyland.
If I was smart I would have had my camera at the ready for the first moment that she spotted them and they her. It was priceless. I'm pretty sure that squealing was involved if my ears remember correctly. Then non-stop hand holding.
Sometimes being with family is stressful, but in this case it was memorable; in a good way. Our kids were happy to pal around throughout the day even when "the boy" tried to get a wee bit bossy. I fear for his teenage years--I should probably start a pray chain now.
My cousin will wait in lines and laugh the entire time it takes to make all the loops, twists and turns until we get to the front. She people watches and with the slightest movement of her eyes or brows she can catch my attention and alert me to the eccentricities that are the human race. I. love. this. about. her. We do not judge, {okay, maybe sometimes we judge} but we certainly do gawk. We gawk with love in our hearts, if not for us who would give these people the attention they are so clearly craving? We're doing the Lord's work really.
Okay despite the fact that we sometimes judge others {hey, we're not in glass houses or anything} and that we can make each other laugh our friendship doesn't feel forced because we are family. If we are quite, one does not feel the need to hurry up and fill the silence. We can let each other be quiet without worrying if the other is upset. I think out of all the qualities I like this one best.
Navigating within a family is much like taking a turn on the teacups at Disneyland. One teacup, many hands on the wheel spinning to crazy polka like music. Families never take a linear route and you can never guess how relationships will flourish or wilt. I am grateful that my relationship with my cousin continues to flourish and I am also very humbled that she is forgiving that I am not more connected to her life.
I know she has helped make my life better just by the laughter she has help to create and insights she has shared. I am thankful that she continually makes the effort to see me when I am too lazy to drive my butt up north to visit her. So, thank you dear cousin for reminding me that our familial connection is strong and worthwhile because of the little moments that we share.
