My cousins are like siblings to me. We are so different in so many ways. We live different life styles with different beliefs, interests, and career paths and yet we can sync up after a long absence like no time has passed.
Growing up my cousins were my best friends. We got together holidays, Fridays, and random no school days. We decorated Christmas trees together, sought out Easter eggs, started a girl band, and chatted about first kisses.
We don't get to see each other nearly as often now. One is a successful business owner with kids half grown. One is living in the beautiful mountains of Colorado teaching her kids how to be good nature lovers. And yet when I do get to see each of them the bonds are still there.
I'm so grateful to grow up close to my cousins. I'm grateful to have the experience of a large family. I'm grateful to have had people to be myself with as I grew up incredibly shy. I'm grateful for all the lessons we learned together and all the lessons we learned from each other without having to go through ourselves. I'm grateful for all the memories. And while I miss seeing them more often, I'm grateful for the joy I feel when I get to have a rare "date" with each of them. I'm grateful for our similarities and our differences. I'm grateful for National Cousin Day to bring some of my best memories back and inspire me to reach out and make more.
Who were you close to while growing up? Did you spend time with your cousins? Who are you grateful for today?
May today remind us to reach out to those we miss. May we reconnect to the people we love and share our gratitude for the moments that make life special. Have a beautiful day!