Cousins

Sometimes when I sit down to write a post I have no idea what to say.  There are so many memories flooding through my head I cannot seem to focus on one idea.  Maybe it is because a picture evokes so many emotions, and like a piece of art, it means a little something different to everyone.

These are my Tom Perko cousins.  They lived in Spokane, the same place my Grandma & Grandpa Perko lived.  Every visit to G & G’s house meant seeing the cousins – and that was the highlight of the trip.

Based on the date on the back of the photo the twins on the tricycle are four the girls are five and six, and the oldest is eight.  We were younger than our cousins by three plus years so we thought their toys were the best, their house was the coolest and their backyard was the biggest.  Everything about the Tom Perko cousins was awesome.  We visited maybe three to four times a year.  I wish it was a lot more. I remember wishing it was a lot more when I was growing up too.  These types of relationships are with you the rest of your life, but the foundation starts when the kids are young.  Not living super close meant not being super close then, and unfortunately when we see our cousins every couple years at family reunions it takes a bit to reacquaint ourselves and be at ease, and by then it is time to say goodbye.

I look at my kids and the relationships with their cousins.  They have one that is twenty minutes away and she is like a sister to them, well she is actually treated much better than a sister would be, but she will always hold that spot in their hearts.  Their other twenty-three cousins are spread out across the Midwest and they have not seen in four years.  They want to know them and visit, but that is a long trip to make frequently.

What this photo has sparked in me is the importance of extended family.  It is not that I questioned it, but the importance it plays in the span of our lives is precious and taken for granted.  Take some time to dig through your old photos and get in touch with your family – it will be worth the effort.