Feeling a bit sad

 I was thinking about my dear cousins today.

My sister-cousin lives in Wyoming. We were raised together from very young. She and her brother would come to us when school closed for the summer so her single mother could work. As adults we were busy raising families, but we stayed in touch. After our children had flown the nest, she spent a lot more time travelling back to Canada. Her health is not good now so she cannot travel.

My cousins in Arizona were last here to visit about ten years ago. We are still in frequent contact via social media. But again, age and circumstance keep us physically apart.

I have many cousins and an uncle in Florida. One of my cousins is the daughter of my fathers new found sister. She and her husband are NOT happy with the situation in their country and were looking forward to moving close to us in retirement. We were working on getting all of the documentation for her " citizenship by descent" scheme. It was all a go until some changed in policy in that country pulled the rug out from under them.

I refuse to get a passport to travel south.

My cousins in Minnesota still come back "home" as often as they are able.

As I've mentioned before, my father and two sisters were born in Canada. The other four known children were born across the bridge to Canadian ex pat parents.