Families are always growing. On my side of the family my son has two cousins and two on the way. On my wife's side there are three cousins. The ranges go from 15 years all the way down to infants. The two closest cousins are my son and my nephew. They are eighteen months apart. Their friendship is unparalleled. Together they are inseparable. All the other cousins have siblings whereas my son and nephew are "only children".
The term "only child" seems like an old fashion term. It also seems like a degrading term. Parents question families with one child as if something is ungrounded. A big family is equated with being a more loving or healthier family. When our son was a baby we got questions like "So, when are you going to have the next?". I don't have an answer. I never really needed to ask myself the question. I love my family incontrovertibly. I know a lot of parents who have only one child. Some might have an answer for that inquiry and others might not. When I see parents with three or more kids I wonder how they can manage. I go through a gamut of questions. Am I viewing "multiple children" families in a questionable light? In today's world am I the exception or the rule?
The cousins went to sleep sad tonight. Its their last night of vacation together. They will go back home. Back to their over scheduled lives. School, sports and other conflicts keep them separated. But their friendship does not diminish. They are cousins, they are friends, they are bothers.
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