I’m the youngest of the seven cousins, and most of my cousins’ kids (my second cousins) are closer in age to me than my cousins are.

Six of my second cousins, many of whom I haven’t seen in seven years or more, have visited in May and June. Ranging in age from 7th grade to 21 years old, meeting these kiddos again has amazed me.

The two oldest boys are high school linebackers now, and one of them, when he laughs, looks a lot like my brother.

One of the girls, 21, has recently had a bout with lymphoma. She is so strong that though she still faces daily health challenges, she has a sense of humor about things, laughing and staying optimistic. She and I have the same freckles, light eyes, and light hair.

Another of the girls, a 7th grader, makes me think of myself at that age in her Kermit the Frog t-shirt and black fingernail polish. 

A junior in high school, Hailey is thinking of majoring in music education, which is what I studied through most of college, and her younger brother, Taylor, looks so much like my older brother that I couldn’t stop staring at him during dinner. 

Small town life is a good reminder that family is amazing. We share similarities, even with family who live hundreds of miles away and who we only see once a decade. When is the last time you reconnected with your own family?

If you haven’t lately, I encourage you to get together with your cousins, aunts, and uncles. We’re far more similar than disimilar, and I think you’ll be amazed, like I’ve been, when you reconnect with them.