The sky was so beautifully blue today, cloudless and clear. I sat on the porch and watched a few birds on the feeders, enjoying the warmth from the soul soothing sunshine. The water in the bird baths was frozen solid, so pretty, looked like ice flowers as the water had frozen following the curved pattern of the bird bath bowls. The solar fountains were still flowing, though. Not many birds visiting the feeders due to this being a mast year for acorns and seeds. They are all eating from their natural food sources which they prefer. The side of my yard resting under the old water oak is covered solid with acorns. If they all sprout I’ll have a water oak forest.

Well, I might just have to sign myself into Shady Oaks. I spent ten minutes trying to put my fuzzy pajama top over my shirt at supper because the kitchen was cold. I’ve been on such a cleaning and table setting spree I didn’t have enough energy to cook so I got supper for me and youngest son from Burger King. I struggled with the shirt till he finally said, “Mother (calls me mother when he’s irritated with my old self), you’re trying to put the pajamas bottoms on over your head? Have you had a stroke?” Yes…maybe I have. It’s funny the things we do as we age. I know we’ve all lost our glasses, finding them on our heads or faces. I’ve even been on the phone and told my cousin, “I’ve lost my phone.” She replies, “Fool, you’re talking on it.” Sister-in-law lost a twenty dollar bill yesterday in the dollar store only to find it later in her purse. I watched her walk in the store with it in her hand. Ain’t getting old grand! Wouldn’t change a thing. Old age humor and being able to laugh about our escapades is great! I love it.

Cousins were such a wonderful part of my holiday celebrations when I was a child. All my McMurray cousins 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. When my cousin Joe Edwards piloted the space ship Endeavor in 1998 all my McMurray cousins and their families gathered in Florida to watch the shuttle blast off praying for safe travels for “Joe Boy” as we call him.

This quote was sent to me by my cousin in Florida. I love it. Jim Gaffigan writes, “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!’” We’re going to have fun, too, at our McMurray Christmas dinner, even our old cousins are entering the paddle ball contest and a few Rubik’s cube challenges. My mother won the paddle ball championship at Wesleyan College. After all that laughter we’ll all put on our fuzzy black mustaches and pose for family photos. I love my family!

Jesus had cousins, James and John. Jesus called them the “Sons of Thunder” because they had fiery passionate personalities. Jesus transformed them and they became powerful ministers spreading the gospel with their thunderous voices. So cousins are part of our family with God, too. God put cousins in our lives to be the extra support and love we need when we face family tragedies. Cousins help keep our families close and help us carry on our family traditions. My children are close to their cousins and my grandchildren love our gatherings with all their cousins. I’ve heard it said that cousins are our first friends. Cousins make everything better!

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