Childhood has a profound effect on adulthood; I had the incredible good fortune of having a very happy childhood, something I realize not everyone has the luxury of enjoying. This blog post is not meant to brag rather it is meant to give you a glimpse into my life as well as express my gratitude. It also stems from the fact that I recently spent time at my childhood home…. and of course the photo albums came out therefore stirring up very fond memories.
For me, any moment with my dad is a treasured memory. I am not sure if I can limit myself and chose only one or even do it justice so I selected something else.
Although, I don’t quite remember meeting my cousin for the very first time because I was so young; but the number of photos I have of us together when he is only a few months old abound. Overall, it is difficult to find a photo without him in it.
I am an only child so perhaps this is why being with my cousin literally from the get-go is such an important time of my life. I never got the opportunity to be an actual ‘big sister,’ I never got to experience that excitement of mom and dad bringing home a new baby. However, I did feel that “big sister” responsibility and I was very protective over him.
We lived across the back lane from each other most of our lives and were babysat by our grandmother and each other’s mothers meant we were inseparable growing up. He really is like a brother to me. From sitting together in my dad’s recliner chair, opening Easter baskets on the living room floor, to running across the yard kicking a beachball and sitting on the swingset, to playing with our freshly unwrapped Christmas present on Christmas Eve, wearing matching outfits, always being invited to each other’s birthday parties, and getting into trouble (usually because we were ganging up on his younger brother)….it was a wonderful time.
It is because of our childhood that we are still close today; I still feel like he is my brother rather than my cousin and I am so incredibly lucky to have him in my life.