Cousins by Emma Sears

     Because in my last blog post I already talked about how important family is to me, this month I'm going to write about one aspect of my family that will forever have an impact on my life.
     In summer 2008, I stood on the steps of our house in Vermont, my simple-minded toddler self having an ordinary day. It was sunny outside, and from my memory, I was having a blast even if all I was doing was climbing 5 stairs on our front deck over and over again. My mom was on the phone with my aunt, but I wasn't concerned or even slightly interested in their conversation. Whatever they were discussing probably had to do with adult matters that were foreign to me at the time. Mere minutes later, my mom, tears of joy streaming down her face, announced to my twin sister and I that my aunt was pregnant with her first baby. To my five year old mind, this wasn't very exciting. The new cousin would just be another little person I would see at family gatherings, and would maybe play a round of hide and seek, or tag with. While I have made many incorrect assumptions throughout my life, this was the one that has been the most mistaken.

     On January 27th, 2009, Emily was born. We have been best friends ever since that day. Emily is easily one of the most creative, loving, and considerate people on this planet. She is always eager to     explore new things and has an endless amount of excitement for anything.

 

     Three years after Emily was born, the world blessed her with a sibling and gave me another cousin. On March 2nd, 2012, Joey was born. From the moment I embraced him as a baby, we have been inseparable. Nobody can make me smile as much as he can, and his infinite optimism gives me hope for the future.

     While it can be tough living three hours away and not seeing as frequently as I would like to, I would not trade the memories we have together for the world. Going to Six Flags every summer, making cotton candy in the garage, eating gross soup at a Japanese restaurant...the list could go on forever. My cousins are a prominent part of my family, and I couldn't imagine life without our infinite jokes and memories.