Cousins

Yeah, that is sun and blue skies and smiling faces enjoying a weekend in the "Sailfish Capital of the  World" - otherwise known as my cousin Fred's current hometown.  That's him and his wife Patty with Warren and I in the photo.  We just spent a fun and relaxing weekend with them, pretty much doing nothing except eating, drinking, and riling up the neighbors with our raucous partying.

Fred and I were born 2 weeks apart from each other (he's OLDER), our mothers having been first cousins and best friends.  Our sisters were born 2 months apart, our brothers a month apart.  After that, my mom quit and his mom went on to have my cousin Trish.  Needless to say, our families spent quite a bit of time with each other while we were children, growing up in, shall we say, challenging circumstances given our parents (and aunts and uncles and stepparents, etc.) penchant for smoking, drinking and other - ahem - excesses.  There are many memories, not all of them pleasant, but I do remember enjoying Fred's company throughout our younger and teenage years.

And then life started to happen - college for me, the Navy for Fred.  We both opted for a path far different from our respective families, incurring some unpleasant judgments along the way (our families tended to be nasty drunks, not happy drunks), and so we lost touch for many, many years.  In fact, we did not see each other again until his Mom had died; my Mom would follow her a mere 9 months later, both succumbing to pancreatic cancer.  A sad coda to their lives (they are so very missed!) but...an opportunity for Fred and I to reconnect.

What was fascinating was how similar our lives and our personalities appear to have turned out.  As we got to know each other we discovered that both of us have careers in the energy industry (me in oil and Fred in nuclear power); that we each became avid runners (although truth be told, Fred is the more accomplished runner, having completed several long-distance races); that we share a similar dry and ironic sense of humor; that we both love Disney (and yearn to go there on an adults-only visit, to the horror of our respective children); that we each ended up with 3 children (although he is beating me in the grandchildren department with 2 and one on the way); that we've both dealt with significant health issues; that we share a desire to retire at 55 (even though we KNOW it's not likely to happen); that neither of us developed into big drinkers or partiers as adults (well, leaving out my 20's of course); that we are planners and organizers and schedulers (first born syndrome anyone?); and that we tend not to sweat either the small stuff OR the big stuff any more.  Oh...and that we remain unbelievably fit and good-looking!  For our age.

And so it has been a blessing to share time with him in my middle (?) age.  After a series of brief meetings and meals (mostly up here in New York, where Patty's family lives), we finally made it down to FLA and were treated to warm weather, relaxing strolls through town, beach visits, good meals, even an afternoon beer at Conchy Joe's!  All in all a treasured visit - I'd like to think we might even be invited back some day.

Blessings and Love to All.