As I write this it’s 9pm and all of my kids are getting ready to load up our van, meet their cousins and head to the airport. All said there are 33 cousins and kids on a late night run to the airport. Sound crazy? Why are they going? Because my niece Taulago is coming home. Four months ago, Taulago, the youngest of my brother’s five children, joined the army. She went to Oklahoma for basic training and we’ve had very limited contact with her. This is the first any of us have seen her since she left. I don’t know where all of you stand on the whole US military conversation, but we are all very proud of her for choosing to serve her country. I know it was difficult for my brother to watch his baby take this path in life – at the same time our father served twenty eight years in the United States Army. Besides this blog isn’t about her choice, it’s about the family that loves her.

My dad leaving for Vietnam in the mid 1960's

It’s fun to know how loved Taulago is. It also makes me realize what a blessing extended family can be. In an earlier blog, we talked about the importance of sibling affection. Here is yet another great reason to guard the relationships between our children. Someday our kids are going to be adults and someday those same adults are going to have kids. The only way those kids (our grandkids) are going to have an opportunity to be close is if the relationship between our own kids isn’t a wreck. I know I’m influenced by my culture (the Samoan culture places a high value on extended family) but I can’t help but feel like something is right about cousins hanging out together. It’s important to teach our kids to live by the golden rule – to treat our neighbor the way we would want to be treated. It’s important to teach our children to love other people. But like we said when talking about sibling relationships, it doesn’t make sense God would ask us to treat a total stranger with love and not do the same (or more) for those he’s placed in our family (or our extended family).

Over the years at birthday parties, graduations, ball games, and celebrations, we never worried whether friends would show up. We knew no matter what, the cousins would be there to support them. I know there were times my kids would call a cousin when they needed to vent or if they needed advice about something. I know when my kids went away to college some of their lonely nights would be spent talking to a cousin on the phone. And I know my kids knew at any moment, if they needed one of their cousins to come to the rescue they would. I realize we can’t always control the circumstances surrounding our children’s relationships with cousins. I am offering one more reason to work hard at protecting your own kid’s relationships with each other - someday it will affect your family reunion when you’re trying to get all of your grand kids together. And who knows maybe someday it will affect one of your kid’s welcome home celebrations at the airport! Welcome home Taulago – we love you!!!

               My niece Taulago's welcome home committee