Happy National Cousins Day!

July 24, 2013 is National Cousins Day!

Today is dedicated to the special people who helped us endure all our family get-togethers and holidays. They were there to keep us company at the “kids table,” and for some they were the siblings we never had.   Most of my life my first cousins lived with in a mile from us so our house was always full of cousins.  We did everything together from play our own version of  Charlie's Angels, write plays, build club houses, play store, crab off the dock, play on the beach to playing our own version of Beep Beep the School Bus on golf carts.  One of my cousins even explained to me what "PG" meant when we snuck in the movies to see Grease.   We were a creative bunch and we came up with our own games with our own rules.    While we were competitive as kids, I never remember us fighting or fussing,  we all had our special unique talents and we anxiously supported each other in our quest for success. 

 

 I know I am still confused by all the different types of cousins there are.  I remember my Dad and Mom telling me about first cousins, first cousins once or twice removed, second cousins, second cousins once or twice removed, and on and on! I found this great handy cousins tree graph showing all of the different relationships.  Hope it helps you figure out what kind of cousins yours are!

While my cousins and I now live miles apart and we no longer see or talk to each other everyday, not a day goes by that I don't think of them or the impact they had on my life.  I was so blessed to have my cousins to love, learn from and to share with.  Facebook, Twitter and texting has allowed our relationships to continue to grow at long distances.  These days my cousins and I have a different kind of relationship where we share our own families and their lives and experiences via technology. While we see each other at random points every year, I always know we will meet on December 23rd for our annual Christmas Ornament exchange.  The best part of the event is seeing our children play together today like we did when we were their age.  It is magical!

 

Cousins Day is the perfect opportunity to thank your cousins for all that they do and have done for you. To celebrate the occasion,  I am shouting out to my cousins and telling them all how much I love  each of them, how special they are to me and how much I appreciate them being a part of my life.   In honor of cousin's day my girls are spending time with their cousins making new memories for the future. Call, facebook, or email your cousins today!