Best thing about cousins? They know why you’re crazy.
Cousins are more than relatives, and more than friends, they were our earliest allies in our struggles to overcome our extended families’ dysfunction and become ourselves, and so we celebrate them on
NATIONAL COUSINS DAY!
Who can forget sitting at the “kids’ table” on holidays and family gatherings? That’s where all the fun was (as we found out when were old enough to be elevated to the grownup table. Zzzzz…).
Unlike friends, we don’t get to pick our cousins, they come with the territory, but cousins are usually good friends, and great coconspirators for getting into whatever trouble could be found. Older cousins told us all the family secrets, and neat tricks that annoyed our parents. Younger ones looked to us for new ways drive the family nuts.
Unlike sibling rivalries, competition between cousins is minimal, more of a mutual admiration society among children, like brothers and sisters minus all the wrestling, eye-gouging and hair-pulling.
When we get older, our cousins are still in our hearts, no matter who moved away or where their lives took them. It’s always great to see them, and we laugh and laugh when we get together.
And we remember. As long as we live, our cousin bonds remains deep, permanent and joyful. Let’s hear it for our cousins, and for ourselves, because we’re cousins too.
•Suggested Activities: Washing Uncle Joe’s new car with Brillo.