What could be better than hanging a good thing? Cousins are like siblings, like your favorite babysitter, like allies who look you in the eye when the grown-ups are acting strange, or like enemies you fight together every Thanksgiving (and almost look forward to it). So today we’d like to share with you 11 great comments from our readers.
About secret language:
“In my family, we use the term ‘not real cheese’ to describe something that is too good to be true.” This comes from a comment my cousin made years ago disparaging Cheez Whiz (“I mean, it’s kind of yellow, and it tastes OK, but it’s not real cheese”). What about the promised raise? That once-in-a-lifetime trip you’ve been meaning to take for years? Do you have clothes that look super cute on the internet, but are sure to look great in real life? It’s fun to think about, but just to be clear, this is not real cheese. ” — Reba
“When I was a kid, my Italian-American family would sing Happy Birthday in Italian, and my nonno would always yell, ‘Who eats candles?!'” One day, to everyone’s surprise, my cousin blew out the candle and immediately shoved it all into his mouth. We were all shocked. But my nonno, who had lived through World War II, poverty, and immigration, got mad, laughed, cried, and screamed like a child I had never heard before. Even now, every birthday, my cousin and I yell at each other to eat candles, which definitely makes newcomers think, “This family is crazy.” I love it. ” — Liv
To stay in touch:
“I have nine cousins and we participate in a group chat called the ‘Kids Table,’ which is affectionately named after our longtime Thanksgiving seating arrangement.” — Curry
“When my cousin turned 40, I emailed her 40 great clips that made me laugh (the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cold open was among them). When I’m having a tough day, I go back to watch them, so really, it was a gift to me as well.” — Emily O.
About the younger generation:
“One of the unexpected joys of my life is that my cousin has a son the same age as my son. She and I are 12 years apart. I’ve watched her grow up. But she started her family at a younger age than me. So… At 28 and 40, we have a 4-year-old who loves each other dearly. When they met, my son said, “So is he my cousin or my friend?” We said, “Both!” They have been best friends ever since. ” — Hilary
“I once tried to go sightseeing in Quebec with my 4-year-old. She cried all week. She was worried there wasn’t a toilet in the hotel room. She missed the kitchen sink. It was adorable and so frustrating. Then we decided we couldn’t travel with our cousins. They didn’t even care what we were doing. It was a million times better!” — Sarah
About birds and bees:
“My mother used books to teach me about puberty and sex, such as: Is God there? It’s me, Margaret. and knight in shining armor — the latter does some configuration very Unrealistic expectations. But that didn’t matter. Because long before my mother started giving me books, my cousin had already told me the details. ” — Tara
“I was so embarrassed when I got my first period (my parents didn’t talk about it openly). But my cousin was so excited! She called my grandma so enthusiastically. I was stunned to see how proud she was of me. I still smile when I think about it.” — Marie
For a quiet escape:
“During family gatherings in the 1980s, I would nap in a pile of coats at my aunt’s house. CHAOS was a gathering of seven siblings, their partners, and over 20 cousins, and the ‘coat room’ was a sanctuary!” — Heather
In celebrating the milestone:
“My cousins are between me and my parents in age. They were my allies and advocates when I was a teenager. They took me to get my ears pierced (with my mom’s permission, because she was too picky!) and they encouraged me to put a phone in my room (it was the 90s!). I still cherish the memories of doing ‘grown up’ things with them.” – Leanne
“My cousin brought me my first postpartum meal. Spicy salmon sushi, as I requested. She bought it at a Whole Foods on the Upper West Side. There was only one spicy salmon roll left. Another woman brought it at the same time. I tried to pick it up, and she said, “I’m sorry, but my cousin just gave birth, and this is what she asked for.” So I got her a spicy salmon roll.” — RQ
Do you have a wonderful story about your cousin? Please listen!
PS More great reader comments, and Anton’s cousin soulmate.
(Photo by Stephanie Tamir/Stocksy)
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
