Jun 12, 2016 1:58am (Sara)

There is something magical about cousins. I think the Spanish word Primo is a wonderful representation of what cousins are. I know my cousins were my first friends. My first play mates. My first role models. My first shoulders to cry on. My first relationships that needed a conflict resolved – one that is different than a sibling conflict. My cousins cried with me when we lost our grandparents. Our hearts break collectively when one of us lose our parents….maybe because there is a vast ocean of love for our aunties and uncles. My cousins were my first lessons. Small and big.

We got through the weeds together. There are many special parts of life that we shared, and continue to share. The love I have for my cousins…with all my cousins… is stronger than the steel our grandfather welded. It goes higher than the flight our grandmother flew as a WASP. It goes deeper than the blood we share.

This week, Maya has started a bond of her own…with her cousins. This week she met her first cousins Kyle, Emma, and Arrow for the first time in person. And she’s in love. She is already feeling this incredible bond that won’t be fathomable till she’s an adult. The babies might be infants but they are already her favorites. She wants to teach them. Wants to play. Constantly wants to hold them. Feed them. Breathe them in. It’s darling and beautiful to watch. She says “they’ll miss me”…and she’s right. And she will miss them equally.

So far there are five cousins. Maya and Lincoln went from being the only to the oldest in a matter of months. The cousins are magical and fantastic. They are the spark in Maya’s eye and that…is priceless.

The Morrison Clan is growing. This is because two amazing people vowed to take care of each other 50 years ago on June 18th. Sandra and Lance have given me an incredible and beautiful foundation that will help to keep my dragon family strong. Their love is inspiring and I have great faith that, life willing, Scotty and I will have such a long Love and more.

Scott is the most amazingly strong, kind, pragmatic partners one could ever ask for. He gets both his adventure as well as responsibility from Sandra and Lance. They have traveled the world, educated themselves, honored our country, built businesses, survived accidents, educated children of our community, taken care of their dying mother, raised four outstanding children. For me? They have accepted me as a child. They have laughed with me. Loved me. Opened up to me. Let me be me. Let me love their son. Given me their son. Loved my children. Taken care of my children. Enriched my children. Enriched me. And even more.

Sandra and Lance deserve a celebration that is made for royalty. A few years ago I had big plans. I was going to plan a celebration on a cruise, or all inclusive, or Alaska….something amazing. Part of me feels like nothing would have been worthy of what I feel they deserve. But they are so humble. They were more than happy with the quite party at our home here in Carson. They were happy because they were surrounded by their children and their children’s Loves and by their children’s children. And that…is what truly matters.

Thank you Sandra and Lance – Mom and Dad. Cheers to you for 50 years of not just marriage…of Love. You two are a wonderful example of finding what you want and keeping safe.

Love is life.