Another overcast vanilla sky today. I searched the sky for various shades of color and saw some different layers of vanilla-gray tones. I watched my grandchildren motor away early afternoon and as their car pulled away from the curb a small patch of blue sky opened and I thought to myself, Chief and Rosie are looking down and giving safe travels to Thomas and his family.

Our Christmas dinner could not have been more glorious or more delicious. The great-grandchildren are getting older and have formed their cousin friendships like their parents did at their age. These friendships makes me happy knowing our family traditions will continue with their generation.

We were sitting around the dining room table after breakfast and I was watching all the birds frolicking on the feeders and I thought the sky looked like it might snow. I asked my children if they remember the big snow of 1891. Soon as I said it, I realized what I said. The kids looked at me like I was having a stroke. As I was laughing about what I said, I noticed I had my pajama pants on inside out! Thank God they didn’t notice that or I’d be writing this from Shady Oaks!

I’m sitting in my easy chair in the lady den watching the bamboo dance in the wind, their long pale green slender branched fingers reaching out like they are playing a piano concerto in time with and accompanied by the wind chimes’ tintinnabulations. Mother Nature and Father Sky have cancelled their sunset pageant due to heavy cloud cover. I’m reflecting on what a blessed woman I am, running last night’s memories through my mind like an old movie on a metal spool of film. My entire family was under my roof at eventide. Everyone happy, the little ones just bursting with excitement. Amy Rees Anderson says, “Family is where life begins and love never ends.” Such a true statement! My ancestral home was full of life and love.

Growing up, my cousins were such a big part of my holiday celebrations. They all lived away and traveled home for Christmas and the anticipation of seeing all of them deepened the holiday magic. My south Alabama cousins were handsome boys and their sisters, tall and blond, were always sun kissed with a tan. But in my mind a family doesn’t have to be blood relatives, doesn’t have to include children, but is composed of people who are bound together by their love and kinship, people who love us unconditionally in spite of shortcomings. Close friends are part of our families as are our pets.

This quote was sent to me by my cousin in Florida. I love it. “No matter how you feel about extended family or family gatherings, you will be attending. This is because now the ultimate reason for attending the family gatherings is for your children to have the time of their lives with their cousins. Little kids love their cousins. I’m not being cute or exaggerating here. Cousins are like celebrities for little kids. If little people had a People’s Magazine cousins would be on the cover. Cousins are the barometers of how fun a gathering will be. “Are the cousins going to be there? Fun!,” — Jim Gaffigan.

Jesus had cousins, James and John. Jesus called them the “Sons of Thunder.” So cousins are part of our extended family with God. God put cousins in our lives to be the extra support and love we need when we face family tragedies. When we lose our parents, cousins help keep our families close and help us carry on the family traditions. They offer love and support and friendship. I’ve heard it said that cousins are our first friends. I think that’s true. Cousins make everything better!

“A cousin is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.” — Marion C. Garretty