Little Rascals

"...he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25

I am a very fortunate girl. I grew up with one great brother and with two great cousins. My cousins flank me in age, Kim, the elder is 23 months older and Lisa, is 11 months younger. My poor brother, older than us all was seriously outnumbered. He would have liked hanging out with us a lot, had he had a thing for Barbies, Donny & Marie and sleepovers, but alas, he was all boy and enjoyed muscle cars and boating.

I think, as we have aged, the relationship I have with my cousins has matured right along with us. We were in each others' weddings, planned baby showers and watched as each precious child entered our lives. We have discussed parenting as only family can, and have had plenty of heart-to-hearts about marriage, Jesus and the state of the world. We have prayed with one another, for one another and for friends and family we love.

We share memories. Every holiday. Every birthday. Priceless little gems we shared. Our mothers took turns making exceptional meals, hosting event upon event. We were blessed to live close and to share each others' lives. Now that we are grown and have children of our own, those gatherings are fewer, more space in between. It does not make a difference. We pick up right where we left off and now, our children enjoy the company of each other. We have never had a fight, not one. We can disagree, we can offer our viewpoints, we respect each other as women, mothers, friends. When I can dig up some pictures of us, little rascals that we were, I will post them. Until then, our little rascals will have to do.