Are you homesick for your cousins?

Many of us remember their cousins as being our first friends in life. They would be at your grandparents’ house each week when we went to visit. Many were close in age, and since they were cousins, we just knew we were supposed to get along. And as we’ve become adults, those cousins still hold a special place in our hearts.

But as with everything else in this busy world, there is never enough time to visit our adult cousins. The grandparents have gone; the opportunity to visit cousins may only be the occasional family reunion.

I had a few cousins who happened to be the same age as my own children, and they called me Aunt Jeanne, even though I was a cousin. I also remember my mother-in-law had some cousins that we all loved so much and called them Aunt Lola and Uncle Earl, even though they were cousins.

We always referred to cousins as first cousins, second cousins and third cousins according to how many generations we were apart. But then you hear the comment; first cousins once removed or second cousin twice removed. That is getting a bit too technical. The best greeting is “Hi Cuz!”

Of course, there were the ornery cousins who always seemed to carry bad luck in their back pocket. If someone was going to get in to trouble, it was that cousin. There he was, sitting there shaking his head wondering what he did to get everyone mad.  As my grandma used to say, “They are just turned that way.”

Good cousins or bad cousins, there is a special connection for life with these friends. I went to Alabama with Mom to meet her childhood cousins. They were all old, gray headed or had bottle-colored hair, and some of them had some teeth missing, but they were so cute! They would sit and tell stories on each other. Those stories were about things that happened almost 60 or 70 years ago, and they could repeat the story word for word as if it happened yesterday. As you listened, you wondered how they managed to live as long as they did. They challenged their guardian angels with some of the stunts they pulled.

Cousins were there when we played hide-n-go-seek, cowboys and Indians, baseball and kickball. They joined in catching fireflies (lightening bugs) and keeping them in a Mason jar. The boys would catch a snake or a bug and chase the girls to hear them squeal! If there was a creek nearby, you can bet there was a rope swing and lots of shenanigans. And the Fourth of July had fireworks, homemade ice cream, baseball, frogs, games and so much fun.

It was a special treat if our cousins got to go to school with us. We had a built-in friend. We didn’t have to impress them because they had seen you at your worst! Many times there was a strong family resemblance and folks would think we were siblings, but we didn’t mind because they were our cousins.

We have an annual weenie roast and hayride attended by so many cousins that we sit in groups trying to figure out whose kid belongs to who. The new generations come on so quickly! And those of us with a few years behind us have a memory problem to begin with, and here come the kids that all seem to look alike.

I have been blessed with a few cousins, but my husband’s family is truly blessed. Each generation added to the list. With nine to 12 aunts and uncles on each side, with large families of their own, we had plenty of cousins to visit with. And they met a couple times a year at the park for picnics, baseball games, and story telling! (The picnics went on for many generations. Now we tend to meet in air-conditioned buildings instead the picnic shelters.) We would meet the new babies, the newlyweds and talk about the ones who had passed on. We are all amazed that our generation is now the older generation and we enjoy watching the younger cousins bond as they chase each other until their faces are sweaty and bright red. The hayrides are a challenge because we can’t fit everyone on the wagon. We have to divide into groups, and for some reason many repeat faces keep showing up as each wagon ride begins. The older cousins are just as apt to take a second or third wagon ride as the little cousins.

And as they age, cousins all begin to look alike, which totally confuses the little cousins. But the kids all know each other and memories are shared each year. And the kids don’t understand the second-cousin, third-cousin introductions, they just know they are all at the gathering to eat, play and make family friends.

Every family gathering has that one (or several) cousin that likes to tickle the kids, throw a ball or just plain tease the young ones. Practical jokes are common and laughter is contagious. Are you feeling homesick for your cousins? Call them and have a family get together. Don’t forget the watermelon. Share pictures and stories.

Summer’s almost over, but autumn makes for great family gatherings, too.