October 28, 2012
My immediate family is small. I’m an only child in a
generation of only children. I have many cousins, but no siblings. Not the case
with my beloved. He’s the oldest of five, having two sisters and two brothers.
He has two children and six grandchildren, and ten nieces and nephews. His
family has a blowout reunion every year. We have quiet little affairs we call
get-togethers. It’s all good, though.
A few years back, his oldest grandson completed the Royal Rangers program
through church (it reminds me of trying to reinvent the Boy Scouts). Being invited to the
award ceremony, we cheerfully went, pleased to be included in this milestone of
the youngster's life.
I knew one of my cousins was involved in some program for the
boys of his church, but he never shared the minute details. He enjoyed being a
leader in the program - great! It made him happy and that’s all I really needed
to know. Besides, it was a guy thing, and I do girl things. Usually…
The day of the ceremony my beloved and I walked inside the
hall and there stood my cousin in his leader’s uniform. There stood my
stepdaughter, waiting for her dad. While her father greeted her, my cousin
greeted me with a big hug, then he kept his arm around me.
My stepdaughter’s lovely brown eyes grew to the size of
saucers. She looked at me - at my cousin - at my cousin’s wife - at her father.
Clueless. Totally clueless. My cousin looked at her and informed her I was his
very first girlfriend. I nodded. (I was probably three at the time, and he was
six.) To add to her confusion, my cousin’s wife was smiling instead of ripping
my head off for snuggling up to her husband. My poor stepdaughter didn’t know
what to say when we launched into the “do you remember the time…..?”
Her father finally took pity on her and confessed all. She
looked so relieved I almost felt sorry for putting the joke on her. (Note I say
‘almost.’) We shared the laughter and
our family added a joyous new layer to our relationships.
KC
www.kckendricks.com
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