The cousins are here. There are quite a few of them, all around the same age. Each summer, for a few weeks, we meet in a little family house that was their great grandparents. It is here that the cousins have chased fireflies, played naked in the brook, had long games of flashlight tag in the yard, potty trained before our eyes (hmm), tested new foods that I made as I wrote Cooking Fun, and measured their height on the door frame with a pencil and ruler, year after year, to mark their growth.
When the cousins get together they sit down and talk. Outside, inside, on the grass, under the tree, in a private room, they talk and listen to each other. We adults don't really know what they discuss, but whatever it is that transpires is a good thing. These summer visits have bonded them and they will be remain family long after the days of childhood have passed. It a good glue!
The cousins are here. Summer is still here. I hope to catch some fireflies this weekend if the evenings are clear and starry, otherwise I may have to teach them how to play spoons and make tin can lanterns. It seems like a good time to do all of this.
Do you have family reunions? I recall many moons ago when I met my grandparents extended tribe. Potato salad with lots of hard boiled eggs and swimming near a creek stand out as the two strongest impressions.
