I didn’t have cousins when I was born. 

 

I was the oldest child of two oldest children and the firstborn grandchild on either side of my family. In retrospect, there was a bit of a trade-off there. No cousins but the sole recipient of family adoration. To quote the band Cinderella, you don’t know what you got til it’s gone! 

 

It was another decade before cousins arrived. Summer was the adorable daughter of one of my dad’s twin brothers and Chad, Chris, and Curt were the “snakes and snails” grandsons my Mom’s dad had dreamed of. My paternal cousins Elizabeth and John and maternal cousin Danielle came along when I began having kids of my own, finally inching up my cousin total to 7. 

 

I’d had friends with over a dozen first cousins and I’d been envious! But quantity never outweighed quality and I had some of the best cousins. 

 

From Branson trips to houseboat vacays, trips to Worlds of Fun in Kansas City and marathon games of Aggravation and Back Alley, I loved my summers and holidays with my dad’s Kansas relatives. Summer was my own living baby doll and I loved playing with her. 

 

My mom’s family lived closer, just a couple of hours away in Baton Rouge, and we visited often. Whether we were at my grandparents’ home, my grandmother’s Christian Book Store, or my Granddaddy’s fishing camp, we always had fun when we were together. Having grown up with one sister, my boy cousins were the closest thing I had to little brothers and I was fascinated with them. 

 

Memories of my cousins are the interwoven fabric of my heart. They are siblings with different parents. 

 

As years pass, funerals become the de facto family reunion for many cousins. It is a bittersweet gathering as new memories are created with a casket taking center stage. 

 

I recently talked to my Aunt Connie, Summer’s mom, through Facebook. 

 

“I want to see you,” I’d written. “I don’t want to have to wait until another funeral.”

 

“Me either,” she’d replied with her trademark wit. “Especially if it’s mine!”

 

The best way to celebrate #NationalCousinsDay on July 24? Tag a cousin in a photo on social media or drop a card in the mail. Call up a cousin and reminisce over your favorite childhood memories. 

 

While you’re at it, make plans to call your aunts and uncles on Friday, July 26 for #NationalAuntandUncleDay.