Cousins....

There was, for a brief glimmer of time,  a hope that my sister and her family might move here.  Now it was never concrete or even close to it, but it was real enough that I had lots of fantasies and excitement about the prospect.

But alas, the possible job isn't possible any more.  And, I am so sad.  I want my daughters to be around their cousins, to share visits from my Mom, to invite siblings to come out to see us, share childcare, go on dates, have some holidays together, it all sounded so great! I was so excited at the prospect of it being more than just my immediate family here in this part of the country!

Now, I don't know what to do with the sadness. Is it motivation to discern moving closer?  Is it just the grief of life? Is it just part of this?  It breaks my heart a little bit. Cousins were an important part of my childhood.  It's part of how I developed pieces of my identity.  But moreover I love my niecews, I love my family and I miss them. I miss the ordinary experience of sharing life with them.

So what about you reader...did you grow up far away from cousins and one set of grandparents? How did you stay connected?   How do parents sort out contradictory values?