HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOAN

Tommorow is my cousin Joan's birthday. She was born almost 10 years after I was and for the longest time, my brother and I were the only kids until my cousins came along starting when I was 10 years old. Did I resent their arrival?? You bet your boots I did. My bother and I were the recepients of ALL the attention from Aunts and Uncles not to mention many surprising wonderful gifts which often showed up in the mail unannounced as well as the many gifts which came with a personal visit.

The age gap between us was also a big factor. My Aunt would often comment that some day the 10 and 13 year bridges would close but to the eyes of a child, it seemed impossible that one day my cousins and I would have a close relationship, not to mention friendship.

So here we are a LOT of years later and my Aunt's "bridge" has indeed closed. My cousins and I are friends as much as cousins and the only pain I feel on Joan's birthday is a reminder each year that my next birthday is not far away, and because I am so much older, I am the only cousin who can actually remember the faces of great Aunts and Uncles who have since passed away. I stopped counting birthdays a while ago, so I figure Joan and I are just about the same age with Lynn not far behind us.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Joan. It's been a great run with many wonderful memories. I hope you, Lynn and I can collect many more memories before we hit "forgetting" age.