‘You Have Been My Friend’

In the middle of a boisterous lunch with sisters and cousins today, I found myself at one point staring out the window and deep in thought as the laughter continued around me.

My two sisters and our two older cousins who are sisters … we’ve known each other our entire lives. With my Texas sister in town this week, it was a rare opportunity for us all five to be together.

Our mother and their mother were sisters. They’re gone. Our fathers are gone. With my mother’s death last summer, all the aunts and uncles are gone since she was the last of the 10 Osborne siblings.

So that leaves the cousins. We get together fairly often, but my Texas sister isn’t here for those fun times. That made today special.

I don’t know why today I had that moment of pensive remembrance … and then it was back into the conversation for the three hours we were at the restaurant. All too soon, we parted ways and, all too soon, the Texas sister will be winging her way back to Houston.

But for that brief time I enjoyed being in the presence of those who have known me the longest, know me the best, are the closest to me, and will, hopefully, always be there because I think we’ve made a silent pact that we will be there for each other.

Sisters … cousins … lifelong friends. Family. They will always be there.

“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” –Charlotte from “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White