"My cousin Lisa posted a blog about....."
The rest of the sentence, or post for that matter, is not what's important here. What stood out to me was one little word, "cousin".
You see, I have no cousins of my own. Growing up I was one of six children, but outside of the immediate family there were only a handful of relatives. One uncle, one grandfather, and two grandmother's to be exact. So the idea of a large extended family was foreign to me. Then I married into my husband's family. It's enormous and it took me a few years to figure out how everyone was connected. For example: this girl is married to my mother-in-laws cousin, and this girl's adorable baby is a second cousin once removed to my children. Isn't that fabulous?!
I have been in this blessed family for nearly 8 years, but the novelty of hearing, "my cousin Lisa", has not worn off. It may seem insignificant to some, but to me it meant everything. Thanks Alicia!
