All in the family

I have many little cousins from my mother's side, since she is the eldest. Hence the age gap between my cousins and us (me and sis) is quite big. The only cousins around my age are all overseas. So we are the only "big sisters" to this troop of the younger brood. Maybe that explains the generation gap. My little cousins are not that little any more. Most of them are already in their teens and a few in their early 20s.

We used to babysit some of the older cousins when they were babies. All of them were such a rowdy, fun-loving kids when they got together. I remember when they were little, sometimes the whole family would go for picnics or beaches or the parks or had our own parties and gatherings. My sis and I doted on them a lot, some of them were so adorable and cute. Each of them has their own unique character. The departure of one of them for further studies and the few who are coming of age, set me thinking of them in the past and now.

Shawn was very chubby when he was a boy and he had a smile on him most of the time. He has a caring patient character. Everyone loved him and wanted to pinch his cheeks. Now he is a handsome hunk. He will make a good boyfriend and husband one day. Royce was more individualistic and independent and very bold as a kid, who dared to take planes or travelled alone. He has grown to be a perfectionist (good and bad, I think). Deane was very skinny and light as a kid and it was a breeze carrying him. Like Shawn, he too was always smiling whether you kissed him or scolded him. Now he is a quiet responsible young man with the talent for the arts. I did not have much chance with Ryan as he was overseas most of the time. But I think he is a very down-to-earth young chap who is willing to listen to the older generation. I think he will make a good businessman next time. Valda has grown to be quite pretty and smart. A bookworm, she has an unique cool character too, and she is seldom affected by anything outside of her world, unfazed by others. Maybe that is why she will make a good lawyer. Dion was a quiet boy but with a little temper sometimes, especially when his parents scolded him. He is a budding animation specialist. Everyone loves Lynn, because she is our PR girl, very vivacious and angelic as a little girl. She has the innate ability to get her own way. She will make a very good sales person next time.

Some of them as they grew older, we have grown apart or did not have much chance to get to know each other more. For example, the younger ones like Isaac, Sarah and Jared we hardly meet them as we are busy with our own working life. They are the intelligent bunch as they do very well in school. We meet the twins Daryl and Darren more often. Both of them are the real terrors of the family because they are very active, eat alot, play alot, and very gungho is getting their way. Once I heard their teacher called up their mom and complained that the twins brought little stationery from home to sell to their classmates in school because they needed "more pocket money". I think they will make very enterprising entreprenuers one day. Haha.

Although we do not spend as much time with the cousins anymore, I do hope that as they become adults dealing with the real world, they would have a good character, integrity and lots of good luck. I hope they will be filial and understanding towards their parents. I hope besides IQ, they will also have the EQ to interact with people of all levels as they get busy with their budding careers as well as having their own families next time. And I pray that they value family love, 亲情.

It takes many lifetimes of merits to become family. If we have the fate to be in the same family in this lifetime, so somehow or another, we must have been related to each other from the past. May my family's future generations be fully blessed.