Family...Lost but not Forgotten

My mom's an orphan. Her dad passed when she was still a kid, her mom passed April 10, 2000, and her brother, unbeknowst to her until almost a year later, passed in February of 2003. Relations with her brother were strained after the passing of her mother and they just were never to work things out. I don't know really what happened but I do know whatever it was caused for the relationship I could have had with my three cousins to be non-existent. For years this has saddened me. I've sent Christmas cards to their mother and invited them all to my wedding but they all declined. To say I was hurt is an understatement I was really more sad. I mean they were the only family I had left on that side and the fact that we couldn't have a relationship because of something that happene with our parents just didn't make sense to me. Enter facebook... I was on facebook yesterday and just thought "what the heck" so I looked up the girls, their brother wasn't listed, and added them as my friends. Never thinking they'd actually accept but low and behold. Now I find out the youngest just graduated from college and is engaged. They're both more beautiful then ever and I'm just so sad that I've missed out on so much of thier life just because our parents coudn't realize how important family is.

My sisters, God love them, sometimes just need a good shake. However, I would NEVER cut off communication. I need them in my life, though I have my friends, without my sisters I'm nothing. They make me who I am. They share my DNA, my experiences and my shit brown eyes and nappy hair. Sure the two of them are closer because they're twins, but no matter what we are sisters. And there's no bond stronger. I could say the same of my little brother. Sure we're 16 years apart but he's a part of me, we may not share all of our DNA but share enough. I would do anything for these three people that are the most important part of who I am, my family. Sure hubz and the step-son are my new family and now they're my most important responsibility but it's in a different way. I could never and would never turn my back on my sisters or my brother. And to know that my mom and her brother did that to each other baffles me. And it's because of their inability to communicate that I have lost precious time and memories with these cousins that I have longed to know for a while now.

So here's hoping, that with the help of facebook we can have some sort of relationship. Even if it is just through the internet.