We just wrapped a weekend hosting the Ballew family, which means that you and Eliza had a non-stop cousin party with Harry and Winnie. Lennon is still a little too young to hang.
Growing up, I thought that cousin time was simply the best. I was fortunate enough to have both sides of my family closeby, so I spent consistent and countless weekends bouncing between Italian family meals and Americana backyard BBQs. In that relatively short window of life, my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles made weekend villages to raise us, and therin our imaginations raised forts and castles. Of course, as we cousins grew up and spread out, the villages were largely abandoned and replaced by family reunions to remember what they were like.
I saw a lot of that over the weekend. Your Mom, Aunt Nina, Uncle Jeff, and I brought everyone together only to pick-up after the cohort of cousins moving from one game to the next, leaving behind the relics of fun in the form of Legos, magna blocks, and art projects. I honestly felt like I didn’t talk to you much, nor could I keep up. You’d check in at stages for food and water like a marathon runner and move along to keep with the pace of your crew.
All this is to say that I was happy for you. It’s mostly coincidence that any of us have cousins of similar age to play with, and you lucked out. Your cousins are gone until the next hoilday, and we’ll get back into our school routine tomorrow. I hope you get to look back on these silly, wild years like I did: with great memories and gratitude to keep connecting with cousins even after you’ve outgrown the games and sleepovers. You’ll never outgrow the bond of family.
Love, Dad