I have this cousin. He's exactly 2 weeks older than me and I simply adore him. There are three people in my family that if you meet them, you understand me better: My dad, my sister Angela, and my cousin Larl. Larl is from my mom's side of the family. The story goes that Larl was two weeks old and my quite pregnant mom was sleeping over my Auntie Marion's house. My mom and Auntie Marion were sleeping in the same bed and suddenly my mom's water broke! She woke up my Aunt and told her what happened in a panic. My sleep deprived Aunt rolled over, gave her a diaper, and told her it would be a while and to go back to sleep. Larl was in a bassinet in the bedroom as all this commotion happened. He was there even as I began my entrance into the world. After my parents got divorced when I was six my dad and Auntie Marion remained good friends. Thankfully Larl and I were given the opportunity to grow up together due to that friendship. We visited frequently and even lived together for a few years. My childhood is punctuated with memories of playing Star Wars and Star Trek. Larl's dresser closet was our spaceship. We would cram ourselves into it and emerge to an alien world! We used our imagination like crazy. We would make up stories and record them on tapes. Every BBQ, get together, and weekend visit was our time. I have no idea what the adults were doing. It was me and Larl doing our thing. We were also together through the bad times. We survived verbal and emotional abuse, moving a lot, dysfunction and uncertainty. Through it all we had each other. We clung together and we got through it. As adults we have remained best friends. No one understands us like each other. He's my confidant and sounding board. We are each other's biggest cheerleaders. Due to our shared experiences, we know how to talk to each other and relate to each other without having to go through a bunch of backstory. We live across the country from each other and it doesn't matter. We are still inseparable. When Trinity was born I remember a conversation we had. He was curious as to what Trinity's relation to him was. I thought about it and realized she was his second cousin. Second cousin? That just didn't sound right to me. Larl was so much more than that. So my cousin Larl became "Uncle Larl" to my kids. He's like a brother to me and it just makes more sense to us. It's confusing to everyone else but that fine. For the past few years we always see Larl in August when we go visit my dad in Washington state for his motorcycle run. It's ten days of camping, fun, bikes, friends and family. We look forward to it all year long. My kids run amok getting Grandpa and Uncle time. Lots of time is spent outside playing. This past August was no different. Larl met Amelie for the first time and snuggled her a lot. He played hard with Caleb. He marveled at how grown Trinity has become and started to relate to her as a young lady and not a kid. I also got cousin time as we caught up and spent time together wrangling the little ones. It was during one of those lazy, fun days that Trinity made a cake. It was delicious and chocolaty . Larl had grabbed a bowl, put a slice of cake in it, and went outside to the picnic table to enjoy it with everyone else. The cake was richer than anticipated so Larl could not finish his slice. He offered his bowl of cake to Caleb who accepted it with glee. Caleb ran over to me to show me and I said "Wow! It's Uncle's bowl! He gave you his bowl! He's so nice!" Caleb grinned at me and dove into the cake. I thought nothing more about it. It's funny the things a child remembers and clings to. It is now four months later and anytime Caleb has or wants a bowl of something he really likes, its an Uncle Bowl. I text Larl sometimes and share with him what is in the Uncle Bowl today: The Uncle Bowl has permeated our lives. Every day there is something else in Caleb's Uncle Bowl. It's not even a specific bowl. It's so funny.
Today I was making the baby some pureed pears. As I am blending them Caleb informs me that they have to go in an Uncle Bowl for Amelie. "Oh yeah?" I asked, "The baby gets to have an Uncle Bowl too?" "Yes!" he gleefully exclaimed. It's a small thing. An odd thing. Caleb will probably never remember his Uncle Bowl when he gets older. But right now? It's really important to him. And every time he mentions it happy memories of Larl playing with my kids pop into my head. It's like he is here even though he isn't. His essence is here...His footprint has been left on the heart of my son. This makes me so happy. Ok, I have to run. Caleb is asking for some tomatoes...and he wants them in an Uncle Bowl.
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AuthorI'm so tired. The children are so not tired. |