Cousin love from Leslie
A review of Cousin Love - The Sequel:
Filled with vivid descriptions of family connections and heartfelt desire to maintain meaningful ties, Walter Ruby has captured what countless families experience as geography and life directions separate them over time. What is powerful about this account is the realization that those involved are, and have always been, quite fond of one another. Cousins in common, yet cousins distanced from one another, for the most part, in their post-youth years. Siblings who have remained closely connected, while feeling that they each have the tiniest of extended families - "compact" as he says.
Looking forward to additional episodes of this engaging story - this reunion of sorts.
-- Leslie B
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Walter, thank you for your recent intentions to keep us aware of and connected to our cousins. The people we have known for oh-so-long, yet have had time pass by in any routine interactions. It doesn't matter how much time has passed, my own memories of my cousins remain the times when we were together as youth (much fewer times with my IL branch, and a little bit more frequent with my NY ones). And then, later on, some wonderful memories of my newer IL cousins (the Kleins). Also way too infrequent. And being in the company of my Uncle Alan (who I always refer to as my truly favorite uncle, and it has meaning anyway, even though he is my only uncle)!!
I will see Walter on Saturday, as I join him and dad in RI. It is extremely cool that you are accompanying Mel to his WWII 87th Infantry Division Reunion. I am eager to be a part of the Saturday events and the evening banquet with the veterans. When I accompanied my father a few years ago, to Harrisburg, PA, that event was one of the more emotional features of the reunion for me. Standing and singing the national anthem together, with veterans and their extended families, was incredibly moving. It is not the type of experience we often get to share in our lives. And the fact that the group has dwindled down since then, means that it will have even more significance, me thinks. Amy and Janis both had similar experiences when they accompanied dad on past reunion trips. Thanks, again, Walter, for getting dad there this year.
Please let us know what Robert's test result outcome is. His ordeal is quite unimaginable. Give him a giant, warm hug from me tomorrow.
Cousins, love, corresponding, and more.
Leslie
