Cousins are the perfect relationship. So close we can share hearts, but apart enough we don’t fight. These are the cousins I met on the trip.

Conry Cousin
Shaun (23) - one of the two “big” cousins I have; I never got to talk to him this time; the last time we talked, we were 7 and 8; at least Ben and Berek stayed up with him all night this time and have told me about their talk; I’ll see him at Kristi’s wedding and maybe we can talk then; but I don’t know, ’cause he’s already getting all excited about going to the Nascar races the day after the wedding

Houf Cousins
David (24) - the other big cousin; the only cousin I have older than I; the first couple times we met, he was a big bully; the third time we met, he was a scholar and a gentleman; I’d been really looking forward to spending time with him, but this time, we only got to talk for a few minutes after the funeral and he had to go back to work, far, far, away; we’re going to get together this fall; can’t wait!

Kristi (23) - we used to write each other once a week, but somewhere in the long years we were apart, our correspondence died; of the 3 girl cousins I have, she’s always shocked me by being the greatest tomboy I’ve seen, but funnily enough, every time we meet, she’s one of the ones who has shown me most how to be girly and womanly; she’s getting married soon; I’d wondered how her fiance Aaron would fit into our family, but after a few days, I have found him to a very cousin-like man

Jonathan (20) - I never really knew him before this trip; he used to be just the cute little boy with a curl on his forehead; in 7 years, he’s all grown up; no curl anymore (it’s shaved off); he has quiet, piercing eyes that go wild when he smiles; we have talked for hours and hours, at his house for a day and a night, then on the phone a few times (once, longest phone call of my life: 6 hours), and have not been able to run out of things to talk about; I think his next phone bill will force him to declare bankruptcy

Kou Cousins
Christopher (23) - “a fellow dreamer since we were babies, a fellow chaser of phantasmagorical shadows” … from babyhood through childhood and adulthood, I’ve spent more time with him than any other cousin; for years, we read all the same books and send each other all our writing; last trip, we spent a week together, staying up all day, all night; his mother says his brains and mine operate on a wavelength nobody else has; meeting this time confirmed that the wavelength is still very much there, uh huh

Timothy (19) - whenever I hear or remember the song, “You Are My Sunshine,” I think of Tim; when he walks into a room, it lights up; he’s such a beautiful boy, inside and outside; a natural artist, is always sketching or taking pictures (I’m trying to get him to post some of it online one of these days); I SO miss having his arm around me all the time; he and Matthew are the only boys I walk around everywhere with our arms around each other

Matthew (16) - he notices everything, cares for everyone; when he was younger, he’d be tucking in his shirt all day and always making sure his socks were pulled up to the same height; he’s the one that keeps things running smoothly, staying sane when everyone else is going wild; and he’s deadly with a gun (he’s won all kinds of competitions for his shooting); he could fan you with his eyelashes

Joshua (11) - cute kid, trying sooo hard to keep up with the big kids; keep it up, buddy-boy; just a few more years….

Smith Cousins
Lowell (24) - he was supposed to be born a week earlier than me, but was born a week later; just married last month to Ashley; he does something with computers; haven’t talked with him since we were 8 years old

Monica (23) - married last year to Jeff; she’s a dancer; didn’t get a chance to talk with her this time either

Ian (14) - geek in the making; we sat around, played with my computer, wished we had faster CPUs, talked about gadgets, had fun; he has a license for ham radio; I hope I can get one soon, too

Micah (11) - quiet; melts into the background; he likes fantasy; I’m going to send him some books I used to not be able to let go of, help him sink ever deeper into dreamworlds

Isaac (6) - my youngest cousin; great kid, I like him a lot; Dennis the Menace is tame next to him; I wish he could learn martial arts; he’d be lethal; while we were together, he would punch me any chance he got, and ran in circles around me yelling rhythmically, “You’re fat, you’re fat, you’re fat….”