Family Reunion

I had dinner tonight with my mother and my cousin Michele (yes, that's how she spells her name) at a local restaurant, and while it's noteworthy enough these days that extended relatives sit down and eat together, the circumstances made the moment bittersweet. I haven't been able to see my cousin in decades, for reasons too random, complicated, and personal to explain (though it's partly because she moved down to Florida when she was little), and so the three of us did a lot of catching up. My mother was happy that we were able to connect with each other after all these years. Family ties are really in trouble these days, thanks to the breaking down of extended families and America's increasingly transient, isolated nature, so I was pleased to see Michele after so long and get the opportunity to pick up where we left off the last time we saw each other.

We didn't quite pick up where we left off, though. We were seven years old the last time we saw each other. We simply don't watch cartoons and play with Lego blocks anymore! So we talked about adult things. . .and there's where I'll stop, because if I go any farther I'll get too personal.