A True Doll

Megdoll, far left, and Dolleen, far right, were 2 years old and an infant
when I helped take care of them. *Sigh*

People occasionally ask me to write a blog about them. For a writer, this is similar to when people ask a funny person to say something funny. Just do it! Say something!

Something.
The Cousins are all taller but not much has changed.

But when Dolleen, a child I practically delivered with my own two hands (sarcasm) asked me to write something about her, I took the bait. The cousins are always asking me to pick a favorite. There are five cousins on my mom's side and I love them all equally. But sometimes I like one more than another.

The Five Cousins are (practically) age 16 to (practically) 21. Without exception, I have changed all of their diapers and fed all of them from a bottle. I love them all the same.

But at some point, friends become more important than your family. That point is roughly age 14 and continues until roughly age 17. At some point, they stop sending me text messages or calling with important or random questions. I used to call Dolleen before Christmas and pretend to be Santa Claus. We haven't talked since August, but that's OK.

Dolleen has always been the outlier of The Cousins. Sure, she has our genetic stunning good looks. But she has always had great grades despite parents who, put charitably, were not interested in their grades as kids.

When she had to write an essay to get into college, Dolleen and I collaborated and came up with a simple sentence to start her statement: "I'm short," she wrote. It's true. It's also true that she was the two-time Broward County three-point shooting champion. Like I said, she's an outlier.

And now she's a freshman at Florida State. Her grades are still good. And she's starting to remember to text me now and then. It's nice to be remembered.

All of The Cousins have followed a similar step-by-step process: 1. We talk all the time. 2. They turn 14 and forget anybody in their family exists. 3. They grow up and start bugging me again.

Hence the message on my Facebook wall a few weeks ago. "Write a blog about me." At least she said something.

In fairness, The Cousins have always made me feel very, very loved. Twosan still gives me amazing, huge hugs when she sees me. RyGuy would probably be best man in my wedding if I were getting married (no comment). I talk to Bwi-Bwi All. The. Time. And Megdoll's a kindred, artsy spirit. And so it is with Dolleen. We don't talk for weeks and weeks, but when we get together we're as thick as thieves. There are big hugs, butt pinches and crass jokes. Ordinary parents would be mildly horrified by our crass behavior; our parents just roll their eyes. There they go again.

These are The Five Cousins. I love them all the same, true, but I really love it when they text message and call me. Even if they're just bugging me to write a blog about them.

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