Cousins' Breakfast

Somewhere when I was in my 30s, my extended family became more and more important to me. I'd always been good about calling my parents and my in-laws every week ("To keep the lines of communication open" my mom used to say). But then I also started calling my favorite aunt, Aunt Irene, about once a month. Irene was actually my dad's aunt although her kids were just a little bit older than us. Aunt Irene suffered throughout her life with arthritis but she always had a smile on her face! Most of my memories are of her in a wheelchair. I didn't really know her and called just because I was thinking of her. She was always so glad to hear from me and had a wonderful sense of humor. I learned alot about my dad's side of the family during our conversations.

About 15 years ago, my sibs and I started getting together with my dad's cousins for breakfast a couple times a year. We alternate between the pancake house in the Northtowns and the one in the Southtowns. Back then it was Aunt Irene, her daughters Barbara and Sharon and sometimes our cousin Cindy would also join us. My sister Kathy and brother Mike are "regulars", sister Patty comes sometimes. After hearing about our breakfasts my parents starting coming too! It was a wonderful time to connect with our family without spouses or kids (until years later).

Through the years our group has gotten smaller as Mom and Dad died, then Aunt Irene, years later Sharon. But sometimes the "kids" join us now- Kathy's daughter Kelly and grandson William, Barb's son Jason with Katie and little Lucas, Krissy (who actually brought her boyfriend in January), Patty's daughters, Casey and Jennifer, and my daughter Megan have made an appearance or two. We've all shared in each other's lives - death of parents, spouse, siblings, children's marriages, birth of grandchildren- and supported and loved each other through good times and bad.

In these days of families spread all over the country, I feel especially blessed to have most of my family right here in the Buffalo area.