Tree Treasures No. 27: Cousins By Name, Sisters By Heart

As an only child, my relationship with my cousin Joann has always felt more like sisters than cousins.

There are four of us cousins on my mom’s side. Two lived abroad or in other states while we were growing up, so Joann and I grew up intertwined in everyday life. Our family spent all the major holidays together and Christmas was pure magic. Not perfect, not Hallmark, but full of love, laughter, games around the table, and food that never seemed to run out.

Those gatherings shaped me. They taught me that the best holidays are about togetherness, noise, stories and staying a little longer than planned.

I’m incredibly grateful that Joann and I still live within driving distance of each other, even if we don’t see one another as often as we’d like. And when we get together with our cousin Sue for girls’ time, it’s like no time has passed at all.

Joann gave me these ornaments and they’re more than decorations. They’re reminders of where I come from, who I grew up with and the family ties that still hold strong all these years later.

Some ornaments shimmer.
Others hold history.

And these… these hold heart.

Do you have a cousin or family member who feels more like a sibling to you?

If you enjoy nostalgic holiday stories, I’m also sharing my Christmas memories in a new series called Christmas Stories Throughout the Years.