family

It was so simple. Its just a wire skeleton with black and white beads filling in zebra stripes. My souvenir.

my cousin's heart is usually outside of herself, worn on her sleeve and reflected in others. She also has a really big heart, which is how a large part of it ended up in Africa. While many college students spend their summers oversleeping and underworking, she was off hearing heartbreaking stories on a continent so poverty stricken coca cola is more readily available than clean water. She countered these tragic tales by penning victory stories, establishing and cultivating cultural sustainability efforts. and with bucket showers.

And I got my zebra.

What seems a simple gesture to her meant so much to me; to know that I'm still on her mind when she's off saving the world, even an iota as much as she is on mine.

I studied my zebra briefly in my bedroom and thought about the week ahead. All Henslers in one house. Oh my.

Every year we have a family reunion. Motel in jersey near the shore. Pizza, mini golf, beach walk, sleep, beach, party, sleep, beach, boardwalk on annual repeat. This year's curveball landed all 30 family members on the Outer Banks of North Carolina around the corner from the beach.

 I know a lot of people who cannot stand their family reunions, or at the very least have to heavily drink their way thru them to find them enjoyable. They're always shocked to find that my family reunion is one of my favorite weekends of the year (even if I choose not to partake in the beer that's readily available).  as my fingers gently brushed the smooth beading of my African zebra, I thought about the stark but stunning contrast between each black and white beaded line;  the randomized direction of each stripe, deviating from one another but working together to form one beautiful work of art.   Zebras and families are a lot alike in this regard. (possibly the only in this regard. Other than maybe a family of zebras). 

I can understand why people think that having 30 people in one house could break one the side of disastrous insanity, but it can also break on the side of awesome.  With some carefully calculated email threads, a strategically built house, patience, understanding, and 30 really great people, it can be picturesque, or literally a picture in many cases if my mom is near :o) 

I'm the second oldest cousin next to my older sister and I love it. Not just because I have more single dollars from grandma and grandpa upon departure and more Christmas gifts and memories, but because many of the growing pains they will encounter I have already muscled thru, granted with some tears and strains, but they always manage to repair themselves, and there are some scars I'd never trade for anything. But maybe i can help make a few preventable thru good conversation over a puzzle or card game.  These experiences make me older and wiser. Allegedly. As the fantastic 14 continue to grow and change, so do our relationships. With each passing year these relationships mold with an invaluable richness.

Having a million aunts and uncles has always been a beautiful safety net, especially as adolescence can bring rougher waves than any we've navigated at the beach together. They've always been there to keep my head above water no matter how strong the undertow. It's nice to know they're willing to pick up the phone regardless of whether or not I call. And there's usually a home cooked meal on the other end, too.  Seeing my aunts, uncles, and grandparents always reminds me of where I came from. They are in my veins. Identifying their attributes and seeing how they are reflected in me let's me know where my roots are planted as I continue to grow and expand. They are planted firmly and with good seeds. And it's always nice to hear stories of who I was in the years before I can remember, though some of the horror stories make me think maybe I should adopt.

Some say your friends are the family you choose, but I think God did a great job of picking mine out.

I love my zebra.
-k.