When I was young, I got to see what I call the "southern family" about once a year at the family reunion, which was centered around my great-grandfather's (Pap-Pap) birthday. Considering the distance from California to Alabama, this was quite a journey and always a treat. I had three cousins in particular who were right around my age and with whom I spent those trips. When I think of that part of my family, those are the first people I think of.
During the course of life happening, we went less and less. Pap-Pap died, as old men do, and our driving need to go to spend time with him fell off. My time got busy in high school and I didn't go all the time. My parents worked and couldn't always take the time off. Years went by.
Faceboook turned out to be a beautiful thing for my connection with my southern family and I reacquainted with those special cousins through that. The girls both have children, which I remembered my mom telling me about (she's the keeper of information in our family) but whom I'd never seen. And by lucky happenstance, one of those cousins lives in Va Beach and I've had a chance to meet her husband and beautiful little girl. The other two live in Gainesville and I'm hoping to see them when we visit. It will have been about 15 years since I last saw them.
Tonight, my cousin and her little girl in Va Beach were hit by drunk driver. Of course, I heard this from my mother. My cousins are alright - the mom came out of her car fighting mad, like any mother would. What amazed me is my own reaction. My heart stopped while I was reading mom's note until I got to the line "they're both alright". Logically, if someone had really happened, my mom would have called, so I didn't have much to fear, but there was that moment.
I've seen them twice and before that it had been nearly 15 years. I guess some family ties never fade.
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