The Family tree is Leaning

When I was growing up I was always visiting my cousins, staying alnight, going to church with them and attending big outings. I listened intently to the conversations between my Mom and her family. They were always busying around, taking care of business and having a great time together. All of the cousins would play till dark and stay up most of the night telling scary stories.We caught lightning bugs, played hide-n-seek, I even played marbles and baseball. We rode down the hills on a piece of rug. In the summer we had broom sage that was growing everywhere and it was slick so our rus flew down the hill. We picniced accross the mountains and climbed trees and rode them to the ground. I was so skinny I'm thinking the trees must have been pretty little too. Everyone always said I was a skinny beanpole and that I was growing straight up. That use to make me mad and sometimes I would dread these visitors comin around. Of course now I am definitely not a skinny bean pole..as most of us can relate we growinto maturity and mostly look like our mom or someone in mom or dad's family. As we grew we still stayed close to the cousins and even today I miss seeing them. Seems like when my kids were growing up their cousins didn't getto be close. I think it was the way their parents wanted it. I was always nice to them and wanted to be close, but somehow they were wrapped up in their lives and I think maybe they talked themselves out of coming our way. On my husband's side there are a whole bunch of cousins and only very few even know any of us. Maybe I am guilty of not being as persistent as I should have. I think they were always trying to keep up with each other and the Joneses and Tommy and I were busy raising our 5 children and facing our ups and downs. I do, however have some cousins on my dad's side that I have never met due to the fact that I was raised by my mom and his people did not offer their friendship. I have always been nice to everyone and hope there are no hard feelings between any of the family. I love all of them and hope they have a good life. Anyway the family tree is leaning a little. We are all on that tree together even if some of us are not on the same branch. A few years ago I met a cousin for the first time and she was so nice and told me she could not help that she did not get to be close to me. She ask me to forgive her family and that she could not help anything my dad caused. He was an alcoholic and my mom divorced him when I was little. My grandchildren are close to each other. The 2 older ones are more bossy and independent but they care deeply for each other. Family trees should grow strong and each branch should have a connection with the others and the sunshine of kindness and winds of respect and seasons of change should help this this tree to withstand the things it may encounter. Every has a family tree. Respect it, be proud of it, and remember your genetic make-up began from this family tree hundreds of years ago and your aunts and uncles, cousins, mamaws and papaws share this too...I think I can trace my ancestry back to England and also I have Indian blood too. So think how far back that goes. My grandpa was Irish. You can check out your ancestry on the web.......have a nice day and stay informed.....Irene...that is the "THE ADVENTUROUS IRENE"