Cousin Connection

Let me preface this post by saying, I have quite a few cousins. My mother is one of 7 children born to my grandparents; my father's 2 sisters each had 5 children. It all adds up to a lot of cousins. And I love them all because they're family. Some of my cousins, sadly though, aren't much more than acquaintances due to differences in our ages and the distance in miles between us. And then, some cousins are more like siblings to me. Among them are two with whom I share a special connection; the three of us were born within a few weeks of each other back in 1966. I am the "oldest", born just nine days before Deanna and she, in turn, was born 2 weeks before our cousin Patrick. Close in age, close in our hearts. When we were just little kids, Deanna & Patrick, along with my younger brother Sean, were my best pals, my playmates. These days, however, with families of our own, living in separate parts of the U.S. {Deanna back East, Patrick out West, & me in the middle}... it's not often the 3 of us are side-by-side-...by-side. Before this September, the last time we three were together was on my wedding day, 15 years ago! So, imagine my delight with this recent photo. Here we are, together again, at another cousin's wedding{ Jessica, the beautiful bride, is Patrick's baby sister}. Cousins connecting once more. A cherished moment on a joyous day.