There's Nothing Quite Like Family

My older cousin, Kim was in town tonight. She lives in Alabama, and was in town on business. It was the first time that she had ever been to our house. She's 10 or so years older than me, and there's just nothing quite like having family around. She has a daughter, Morgan, who is a beautiful 16--or is she 17 now?--year-old girl who happily entertained my daughters this past January when we went to her hometown to celebrate our grandmother's 90th birthday. Morgan is named after our grandmother and so is Sallie--she is Sallie Morgan.

We had dinner and then Kim helped me put the girls in their pj's, and then she started reading to the girls, one book that each girl picked out. Eliza snuck into the next room and found me, still dressing Reagan, and whispered into my ear: "I like it when she visits. Can she visit again tomorrow?" I wish she could, too, Eliza...I wish she could, too.

We talked about family...about our grandparents...she told me stories about our grandfather (who died three days before Sallie was born) that I had never heard before. It took me right back to their old house, to their kitchen, where we sat at the bar watching our grandmother cook dinner...our grandfather eating "lunch on a board" at the counter. I miss those days..and I miss my grandfather. And I miss my grandmother, too, even though she's only in Birmingham.

Kim gave me some advice on raising children, some advice on fall fashion trends..the kind of sisterly/cousinly advice that you just downright crave every now and then. If I were more like my father, I'd have taken photos to share..photos of Kim reading the girls' books, of the wine we drank on the patio in the moonlight (ok, streetlight)...photos of her saying goodbye a half an hour ago.

When Eliza asked if she could come back tomorrow, Kim promised her that she'd visit again before she turns five. (She'll be four on November 19th). The rest of us share her sentiments, so we're going to hold you to that promise, Cousin Kim.

There's nothing quite like family.

Kim in Orange Beach, Alabama -- January 2008

Morgan, entertaining the girls and Tulley Anne in Orange Beach, January 2008