Cousin Address List

I had a ‘bee in my bonnet’ this morning. I was interested in gathering up the names and addresses of all my children and those children of my siblings to make a ‘Cousin’s Address List.’ Cousins were always important to me when I was young, so I thought that I would make it possible that my children would have the opportunity to communicate with cousins, if they chose to do so.

Back in the day, things were different. Families stayed together and didn’t move too far from the home place. Families were more nuclear and many things rotated around the family and everyone kept in touch. Cousins lived right around the corner from each other.

Now, jobs take us from one corner of the nation to another. It is now thought that we change professions three times in our life, so not only do we move to go where the jobs take us, but we re-educate and move some more. Thus, many of our family members are scattered. We have our lives so packed with our own needs and wants that we have very little time for family or extended family, especially if we need to travel long distances.

Thus, I called, e-mailed and visited my siblings and my husband’s siblings, and their offspring to find all the names, phone numbers, address and e-mails of all of their children, the cousins, on both sides of the family. That was a delightful exercise. I spoke to people that I had not spoken to in a long time. Not, that it was intended, but that I just had not taken the time to do so.

I am grateful now that I have those numbers. I found that three cousins all had babies within the last month. One cousin’s husband just graduated from university and two others just bought new homes. Congratulations are in order for these families with new ‘firsts’ in their lives. Is this a time to share more than just a quip on a web site? How about a real conversation?

Angel Sisters

Irene and Beverly were 1st cousins and the only daughters of two sisters born at the turn of the century. Each of them had one older and one younger brother. Even though they lived over six hundred miles apart, they were like sisters, caring about each other. They stayed close over the years through letters, phone calls and visits.

After WWII, Irene showed off her young baby daughter to Beverly and later when Beverly was married, their bond did not cease. Over the years, they spent an evening now and then, after the children had been put to bed or on a Saturday afternoon, in the Bluebird Coffee Shop laughing and talking over soda and a piece of pie, while their husbands would take their turn for an hour to give their wives a break. Beverly and Mother could talk a mile a minute, crying over their problems and laughing at their “lot in life”. They had this little bit of time alone to share their thoughts and feelings and to take a deep breath.

I remember Mom and Beverly saying that when they would do that, they came home with renewed energy and enthusiasm for daily tasks. This was their ‘boost’ to give them the courage to put on a ‘stiff upper lip’ and get back to their homes as wives of diligent husbands and mothers of feisty little angels ready, daily, to give their moms a difficult time.

With eyes peeled, I observed first hand as these two ‘angel-sisters’ interacted. I was very small when my mother first took me with her and then recorded that experience in my baby book. Later in my youth, I remember the feelings of an experience where the two of them were laughing and talking at their meeting. There was an overwhelming kinship they had for each other as if time stood still. Again, I reminisce, as a new bride, visiting Beverly and her family. I was welcomed into her family, as if I were her sister, securing that friendship into my own life.

Do you have an ‘angel sister’ or a cousin that takes time out of their day to give you a word of encouragement? If not, there are others waiting to hear a good word from you.