I spent the day yesterday with my cousin Heather…in town for a much deserved break in her work schedule as an Intern.
Spiderman was off for a few days’ adventure in Liverpool with his grandparents so we headed halfway to drop him off. Then Little-One, The Tall Blond, my darling cousin and I spent the afternoon in Chester and with the exception of an almost one hour wait for lunch at The Rope Loft…which greatly impacted our shopping time…we had a fabulous day!
I left Newfoundland when I was ten years old yet these women, my cousins, are so much a part of who I am. I’m always a little in awe of my girlfriends who have family living close to them but really, the distance doesn’t change the fact that I’ve women in my life who I can rely on for anything…at any time. There’s a bond with cousins…growing up in the same family with the same stories, the same beliefs, the same Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents…it’s hard not to feel connected.
Not to take away from my wonderful male cousins who I not only adore but who’ve added a great number of fabulous women to our lives…these women, my cousins, they’re incredible! Like Heather, they’re caring, kind, loving, positive women who are making a difference in this world we live…putting you at ease in the emergency room, catering your family events, fighting fires, preparing for wars, delivering your mail, tending to the homeless, teaching your children and extracting your teeth to name a few of the multitude of things they can do!
These women are raising kind, beautiful and talented children while supporting their partners…going it alone…or holding their heads high in the face of divorce. They’re single, they’re married…they’re expectant and new moms…looking to one another for encouragement and seeking advice from those of us who’ve blazed a trail for them to follow…to learn from each other’s mistakes…to encourage each other’s accomplishments. They’re talented, beautiful, exceptional women who make me proud.
They are the daughters of the Aunts and Uncles who I adore.
These women are adventurous! They’re surfing, flying hot air balloons, travelling to foreign places, racing the roller derby track and rescuing animals. They’re deciding later in life to go back to school, start new careers and yes, at forty…have another child…another baby girl who’ll grow up in this family surrounded by women who will be behind her…support her…adore her.
Yesterday I spent the day with my cousin Heather. I was reminded of the fact that even though there’s distance between us…even though we weren’t raised together and we’re living completely different lives…we’re family.
How wonderful it is that these extraordinary women are making a difference in this world…and in my life.