Friendships

I recently had a fantastic opportunity. I had the opportunity to go on vacation with my mom and my cousin. My cousin is closer in age to my mother than to me, and he and my mother spend a lot of time talking on the phone and texting each other. Each year, for several years running, they have traveled down to Florida, to a small island and a beautiful home there. They spend their vacation talking, reading, visiting book stores.

This year, they invited me. Had the invitation not been issued over the phone, I most likely would have leapt into their arms with delight. As it was, I (relatively calmly, I thought) said I would have to check with DH to square away child duties. And so I did. DH agreed to watch the kids for 5 days while I went to Florida.

Which brings me to the topic at hand. Friendships. I truly, truly believe that everyone should be so lucky as to have deep, lasting, true friendships within their own family. I think that every child should be so blessed as to develop a friendship with their parents when the child has become an adult. I've seen my mother thrive as a result of the friendships she's developed in our family, and I really got to see the beauty and value of those friendships first hand on our vacation.

I already knew that my cousin was a neat guy. Just looking at his life would tell you that. But getting the chance to know him showed me things that I value in a friendship with him: his horribly witty sense of humor ("Java the Hut" anyone???); his intelligence; his firm grasp of current events and ready willingness to debate them; his loyalty; his faith; and just his beauty as a human being.

I got a lot of things out of that incredibly wonderful vacation. I rediscovered myself (we'll save that for a later date). I drank lots of incredible coffee. I perused some wonderful used book stores. I got to walk on a beach and find shells. I met the most wonderful dog in the world (Hi Cooper!!!) But easily the most wonderful things about that vacation were the following: reaffirming and strengthening my friendship with my mother, and forming a strong and lasting friendship with my cousin.

I hope everyone can be as lucky as I am.