Cousins Reunion

Cousins Reunion

Parents - I have none. Sister - I have none. Aunts and Uncles - I have none. Cousins - I have none. You see, they're all gone now. However, even when they were alive we were not a close knit family. There were very few of us and we never got together as a Family.

Then came Ellen. I fell in love with her immediately because she is the best person I know. What I didn't realize was the extra benefit that came with our relationship - HER FAMILY.

A short time after we met we went to a holiday get together with her Family. OMG, there seemed to be hundreds of them. Mother (her Father had died), Aunts, Uncles and Cousins - lots of Cousins. I not only had the love of my life, I had a Family.

From the start they treated me like Family. Even though my relationship with Ellen was new, the Family treated me like I've been with them my whole life. This was especially true of the Cousins. It was so new to me to see an entire Family who all liked and respected each other. Again, this was especially true of the Cousins.

The thing about these Cousins is the kind of people they are. They not only like and respect each other; they're bright, creative and most of all interesting. They are business people, book publishers, music publishers, musicians and teachers. As a business man, writer and blogger, I'm the most comfortable when I'm around them.

This coming Monday we're having another Cousins reunion (almost all of the senior Family are no longer with us - it's the downside of getting older). Cousins are coming from Portland, Chicago, Seattle and California. We're only missing one Cousin from Nashville because of business commitments.  

The thing that's great about these reunions is we have nothing planned. We just talk together for hours and hours. The subjects we talk about are so diverse we never get bored. No egos, no talking about how much money or "stuff" anyone has, no agendas and no narcissism (well maybe one of the Cousins has a little bit of that).

Sooo, what does this have to do with YOU? Well take it from someone who never had the luxury of Family until I met Ellen - appreciate your Family. Go out of your way to seek them out. If you have differences, find a way to get past them. Love them just the way they are and don't try to change them. Most of all:

Be The Positive Energy Person That Brings Them All Together