I’ve shared on my blog about my new discovery of Facebook and the incredible connections I have made since joining. Just this past week, I found my long lost cousin in Florida…Lucy! We were thick as thieves growing up. She was raised on the east coast in the bustling city of Pompano Beach….me, I was the country cousin! I lived in a small rural town in the south-central area of the state. My one-horse town was a favorite place for city relatives to escape to. It was just home to me! But to them….it was horses, dogs, good home-cooked meals and family. I loved it when they would come visit.
My grandparents lived on the east coast too. In the summers, I would go and stay as their guest (and they would spoil me). Some might say….I was already that way. But my Granny….she was very good to me. I always felt like I was her favorite (even if it wasn’t so). My cousins would all be there too. We’d play, run wild, argue, have clubs, watch tv late at night, eat the best meals a Granny could make and just live it up all summer. I’ll always remember my time with all of them as great memories. I knew I was loved and cared for by each of them. They were family.
Things weren’t always smiles and sugar cookies though. It seems that after a bit of time together….we’d end up in some sort of disagreement. Me, being the bossy-ish one would usually stomp off ticked to the max. Then everyone would play “shun” Wanda! They loved to pick at me (did I mention…I was the youngest one?). They were all older but clearly….I was the leader of the pack. Either by my sheer power or them just giving in and saying….”WHATEVER”! Whichever it was……I was boss! In all my bossiness they decided on a perfect name for me (not meant with love, I tell ya)….Queenie!
I would be “not speaking” to any of them and they would taunt me as I rode by on my bike, “Queenie, Queenie!” and then just crack up laughing as I stuck my nose up in the air and zoomed on by. OOoooh I would be seething inside. Thinking of all the ways I was gonna get them! My cousin Lucy….she really was a sweet kid (but I guess she had just had enough of my drama)….Go figure! I’ll never forget her calling me Queenie and laughing. I can still see her face. The reason it bugged me so much partly was because she didn’t have a mean bone in her body. So, to me..this was the ultimate insult! How could she turn on me like that?
Now that I’m a little older (by the way……NONE of them have forgotten my very deserved nickname, Queenie) I can see that I must have been a little much for them. I mean, look at me….I’m still bossing people around and pushing my way through life. It’s just who I am. I’d like to call it a strong first-born leader personality. My cousin’s may say…..I’m just a spoiled brat! Either way, I’m embracing the name….it still fits I suppose. When I decided to become a blogger…..it was the first thing that came to mind, after all these years. I haven’t seen any of my cousins in about 17 years…..we left for ministry a long time ago and haven’t lived in Florida for ten years. That was the first question cousin Lucy asked me when we started chatting on Facebook…….”So, tell me about that name on your blog?” Hahahaha! 🙂
I love her! Thanks for being my cousin!
Oooooh I have to spit this out before I just scream with delight over it. Next week…….is the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival again. Yeehaw! Woohoo! Yippee! I am so psyched! I hope you visit….I hope you participate too. There will be over 1000 giveaway’s on this contest-palooza! Don’t forget!