Maybe Not So Detailed, Definitely Mushy

My cousin/goddaughter graduated from college this past weekend, so a lot of my dad's side of the family came in for the occasion. It was great to see everyone, even if only for a whirlwind 24 hours. I'm spoiled in that I see these family members for a huge concentrated chunk of time every summer, but I rarely see them otherwise over the course of the year, so it was a bonus. It's especially great that HR gets to have lots of interaction with his extended family. It makes me so happy that he knows them and has real time with them.

When I graduated from college a lot of year ago, this was my cheering section.

That's everyone. My parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, my (then future) in-laws, a friend and my mother's best friend. What's most impressive is that exactly three people in the picture--Mike, me and our roommate/friend--lived in the Boston area at the time. And for my cousin last weekend, it was no different. Everyone makes the time and effort to be there when it counts. Maybe you miss an occasion here or there, it's inevitable, but to an overwhelming degree, once these kids come into the world they are priority #1 for the whole herd. Every little thing they do is a big deal. And every thing that's good about me as a person is because of this.

Major congratulations to my cousin, who I can't help but think of as a kid but who has grown into a smart, kind and beautiful young woman who is now following her heart across the country.

And congratulations to the rest of us for getting to be part of this crew. We lucked into it, plain and simple, but we know what we have, and it's up to us to keep it going. This many generations in, I think we're on a roll.

You're all my sunshine.