Meeting my cousin

After literally decades, I had made contact with a cousin from my mother’s side of the familymade contact with a cousin from my mother’s side of the family this year. And now I would meet her. My sister would join too.

This cousin, Jennifer, is the daughter of one of my mother’s younger brothers. My mother had six brothers and two sisters, but two of them have died by now. Jennifer is the same age as my eldest sister. 

We would have lunch in a cafe; I got there first. And after a while, a lady walked in who said ‘you must be my cousin’. And I was! Memories of the teenager she had been came back. 

We started filling in all these years. And then my sister appeared. They had already met once. And with the three of us we talked about life. And how our family hung together, or apart. Who was in touch with whom, and what they got out of that. 

It was so good to reconnect! I think my sister will keep this contact going. She lives 10 minutes by train away. For me it’s harder. I’m not in the Netherlands very often, and if I am, I have to juggle other contacts too. But it’s already so much more than what it was! I really hope I can join that side of the family in a meaningful way… 

Family! Jennifer in the middle.