Nice surprise...

My Cuz decided to call me a little after five o’clock this evening.
Oh ‘Cuz’, it might be a NJ terminology meaning the child of your parent’s sibling, so they are your cousin.
In the bigger picture of the world we all have family histories and relatives one way or another, and there are second cousins, thirds perhaps too and distant aunts and uncles etc…all possibilities…
Some have many, and some have just a few.
This particular one is only about a year and a half older than me, but as children that was miles apart for girls, and she is my mother’s brother’s child, so she is my first cousin.
I seemed to get along better with my boy cousins since the maturity rate for them, even with them being a few years older made it more of an even playing field.
In other words they didn’t care that I was that much younger.
It amazes me that when she called it was if we had been speaking just the other day, but without borders, and many more commonalties, but she is still a northerner.
You see we are now both mothers of grown children.
And unfortunately the one commonalty that we both wish we didn’t share is Multiple Sclerosis, but we do.
Although, my Cuz has been dealing with hers for over thirty-five years with grace and dignity, but even she has admitted at this point it, the MS is misbehaving for her and she is now getting the help that she rightfully needs; with keeping her home, pets and laundry done, and medical in home health care worker.
How sad I know she feels that she can’t do what she wants to do, but it is great that she will now be getting the help she does need, and her son had been helping but after a while especially with a grown single son one feels awkward asking. And when they begin to hesitate when asked I think that’s when you know that they have been asked once too much.
If I didn’t have Hubby I too would have to be getting someone else to help me.
There are days I am sure he would like that, seriously, but we are legally binding, marriage and all, unlike a mother child relationship, which is not.
I used always tell my kids that we’re related by marriage, my Hubby, their dad and me, and they are related by blood to both of us! I know, silly me, it’s true you know!

My dear Cuz told me something I hadn’t known about her trials as a young mother that when her son was just six an half he had aplastic Anemia and suffered nearly to death until he was nine, his sister wasn’t a match for a bone marrow transplant but his survival was based on medication used in veterinary equine ills, and it worked! He is thirty today and so far, to date he has never ever had a reoccurrence; and doesn’t take any medication. He had been pronounced a miracle at the time and was written up in medical literature.

Wow, heavy stuff, but my sweetheart of a cousin who at the time was dealing with her own debilitating disorder, MS said she was the strongest ever when her son was so ill, and together her will to make him well was her strength and it worked for them both I truly believe, a mother’s love can be that strong.

This lovely woman had a rather exciting life prior to wife and motherhood for this college graduated gal worked as a flight attendant for a major airline and traveled the world. She was so beautiful the story was that they wanted her to do commercials for them, but that she was too shy this Farah Fawcett look-a-like.
It’s funny how age and illness measures the inner beauty more than ever, and she has exuded that now in this moment in time with such a kind heart.

Ah, much nicer speaking of others than ones’ self, what a nice diversion from my own reality! And even though some of the story was bitter sweet it is somewhat of a happy ending, we have found each other again and that’s great in my book!

On that note of positivity I will wish you all a very happy night and to all count those blessings, yes that’s a very good idea, don’t you think?
And we will count our blessings too!