I just got home from a cousin's high school graduation party. It was pretty bizarre. I remember when he was born. It was strange to see him all grown up, ready to go to MSU to study Criminal Justice. He's handsome and tall and intelligent and MAKES ME FEEL OLD.
One of my other cousins is a senior now, and she and I were talking about writing programs (that's what she wants to study at school next year). I remember taking her to McDonald's when she was five years old, buying her a Happy Meal, and then looking at her with a mixture of love and shock when she said, "Wow... the weather has been very erratic lately." A freakin' five-year old.
I knew she'd end up doing *something* with language.
I got to visit with my parents, brother, and sister-in-law, not to mention other relatives I haven't seen in years. I hadn't seen some of them since my graduation party, which was thirteen years ago. They said I look exactly the same (*beam*) and then looked sort of horrified/shocked when I said I was 30 (*stops beaming*).
Whenever I go to get-togethers like this, I wish I could stop time for a little while. My "baby" cousins are off to college. The cousins from my generation are getting married, getting real jobs, finishing school, and buying houses. My generation's parents are close to retiring or already retired. My hip, young aunts and uncles aren't so young anymore and have to deal with waning eyesight, strokes, and back problems. It's like the past fifteen years have simply sailed by while I sat on the sidelines, watching them go by. I just wish I could put out my hand and stop it for a little while... keep everything the way it is, just like a picture.
A lot of it is due to how often we get together. On my dad's side, it isn't so shocking because I see them twice per year. I haven't seen the relatives on this side since my brother's wedding, which was five years ago, and some of them didn't make it to that. Everyone talks about getting together more often, but the people who always hosted the reunions are dealing with health issues or moving due to retirement/lay-offs or whatever. Believe me... if I owned a house, I'd have one. I hate losing touch like this.
Anyway, it was a really nice day, and I'm grateful I could make it. One nice thing about living in Michigan is that I'm anywhere from a half-hour to five hours from family.
One of my other cousins is a senior now, and she and I were talking about writing programs (that's what she wants to study at school next year). I remember taking her to McDonald's when she was five years old, buying her a Happy Meal, and then looking at her with a mixture of love and shock when she said, "Wow... the weather has been very erratic lately." A freakin' five-year old.
I knew she'd end up doing *something* with language.
I got to visit with my parents, brother, and sister-in-law, not to mention other relatives I haven't seen in years. I hadn't seen some of them since my graduation party, which was thirteen years ago. They said I look exactly the same (*beam*) and then looked sort of horrified/shocked when I said I was 30 (*stops beaming*).
Whenever I go to get-togethers like this, I wish I could stop time for a little while. My "baby" cousins are off to college. The cousins from my generation are getting married, getting real jobs, finishing school, and buying houses. My generation's parents are close to retiring or already retired. My hip, young aunts and uncles aren't so young anymore and have to deal with waning eyesight, strokes, and back problems. It's like the past fifteen years have simply sailed by while I sat on the sidelines, watching them go by. I just wish I could put out my hand and stop it for a little while... keep everything the way it is, just like a picture.
A lot of it is due to how often we get together. On my dad's side, it isn't so shocking because I see them twice per year. I haven't seen the relatives on this side since my brother's wedding, which was five years ago, and some of them didn't make it to that. Everyone talks about getting together more often, but the people who always hosted the reunions are dealing with health issues or moving due to retirement/lay-offs or whatever. Believe me... if I owned a house, I'd have one. I hate losing touch like this.
Anyway, it was a really nice day, and I'm grateful I could make it. One nice thing about living in Michigan is that I'm anywhere from a half-hour to five hours from family.
Hey, how do you manipulate your identification to locate you in fake places like this Ysplainti, MI?
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