Yes, I am an only child. Still, even still when I’m 72. But growing up and even now I am blessed with cousins who are as dear to me as any siblings. We have our memories of childhood we share. We have our growing up pains and awkwardness. We have our losses of parents. We have our good times.
One set of cousins that I lost track of I’ve found again. Well they found me and reached out to me and we have reconnected. We missed a good deal of our in between life experiences, but we have shared some of those. We have shared memories of our parents, what I remember about theirs and they remember about mine. I have learned about our shared grandparents and their struggles and their triumphs. I have discovered things about an Uncle I never knew. I learned how my grandmother Grace when informed of his death turned and had a heart attack. A true broken heart.
But what is it? It is a blood thing. It is connecting on levels that somehow just now seem so important. When I first came back together with Susan I saw her standing outside waiting/waving to me. And I saw her mother … As surely as could be. It was wonderful. She’s not met my kids and I’ve not met hers yet but we share stories.
And in this current time when things are locked down with a virus threatening at the door, it seems they are ever more important. Somehow it is connections.
Oh it’s true I did marry into a family with 6 kids. My husband, John is the second oldest. I know I chose that as a part of what I wanted…someone with an extended family, well yes. And I am so blessed to feel loved and siblinged.*new word. But we’ve been together almost 50 years so that’s pretty related. And my children have cousins and their children have cousins. It is a good time.
So, I am blessed with cousins. With family. I have others outside the blood line who are dear to me as well. There are several who call me momma whom I’ve never met, nor are likely to ever meet. I have women ask if I will be a mother to them. I have always said yes.
I wish you connection, and love, and the support and challenges that it brings. I want to get together with my family and hug each one of them. That won’t be happening for a while. And that has got to be alright.
Still I am blessed, and I love you, dear cousins. Bobbie Giltz McGarey April 8, 2020
The Spirit Will Tell You 