like a fish needs a bicycle...

ties that bind

last night i talked to my cousin ariah. i haven't seen him in 7 years. until last night, i hadn't heard his voice in 5 years. we'd exchanged sporadic e-mails, but not seen or spoken to each other. over the years, i would sometimes realize how much i missed him. but mostly, i would just think of him and pray for him.

it's strange to grow up with someone, to be attached to someone at the hip until you're 14, and then suddenly lose your physical connection to that person -- especially when neither of you can do anything about that loss. the bond we had, of course, ran deeper than the physical plane -- it was there then, and it still is now. but there's a sweetness in sharing life with someone who shares your blood and your spirit. and sometimes, i would cry just thinking about how we were missing out on that.

i have only sisters. ariah was the closest thing i ever had to a brother. he was my male playmate and confidant. we shared our childhood, and we grew up together. lately, i had been thinking about how we're both still growing up, but we're not getting to grow up together anymore.

but last night he called me. and we talked for a long time. we remembered how we would eat cereal together as kids... how he would make me watch heman with him, and then i would make him watch shera with me... how we were both obsessed with transformers... how we used to build forts and tents.

we talked about our lives... how we're growing and changing... what our dreams are for the future... how we're both doing in law school... how we're the same people we always were, even if we haven't seen each other for a long time... and how much we love each other.

it's amazing for me to see what a beautiful human being he is. he's had so much to deal with in his life and he's been through so much. and yet, he's so resilient, and so loving, and so happy. talking to him makes me appreciate life and the nobility of God's creation. i feel so blessed that we've reconnected.

and as of last night, we've decided to keep growing up together. i can't wait.

Posted by naseem at April 28, 2006 09:32 PM