Cousin

I remember being seven- I remember staying up waaay past our bedtimes and having only the night sky and our bare feet to guide us back to our homes. I remember running for hours playing-quite frankly- stupid games, but loving every second of it. I remember our feet being so light that we might as well have been floating over the grass because we were freer than most. I remember being free.

I remember Sunday, summer nights. I remember the playful warfare between us and the older cousins. I remember every game being another chance to try to scare the living daylight out of our siblings, and oh how we loved that.

 I remember being carefree. I remember thinking, “I wonder, if I can push this sleepover weekend three days.”I remember calling you every weekend, your mom giving me the same excuse every time. You were both so annoyed.

I remember the “deep” conversations we would have about our simple crushes or what we really thought about [insert cousins name here].

 I remember growing up.

I remember telling ghost stories, not realizing that we would one day be the dead-eyed ghosts that would haunt our childhood vibrancy.

I remember the days our two older cousins left on missions and you and I left tears in our eyes.

I remember feeling robbed.

I remember wishing for those Sunday nights back, so I could watch the sun rise and set simultaneously one last time.

But I couldn’t.

All I could do, was remember.