niiro17 that must be nice to have cousins as neighbors; I have a friend who meets with their cousins every month. They cook and eat together and contribute some money that goes to a fund. At the end of the year they decide what to do with it. I miss that kind of unity.
I am too far to meet any of my cousins so I just stay home with my parents since I have no other option. If you have your cousins as neighbors and you get along with them that is cool.
I grew up with my cousins so I know them well, but with age we grew apart and we only talk once ow twice per year, not more.
I'm like the OP. I've met some of my cousins but only once or twice. If I met them anywhere today,I wouldn't recognize them. I spent most of childhood in boarding school, got a job that had me traveling around so I never got the chance to get to know any of my relatives except those who visited when I was home. But come to think of it, I don't think knowing your cousins or other relatives is that important.
I know them kinda sorta, but not really. A lot of them are either in jail or some kind of problem with the law, and my family seems to be the only one that escaped that... That's my dad's side though, my mom's side is pretty alright with that. Either way, I know most of my cousins pretty well but everytime my dad's side has a family reunion I meet someone new...
I do not have any first cousins, anymore. They all stop talking to me when I became a Police Officer. I have since retired with injuries and they still refuse to acknowledge my existence. I started investing more when I retired and they remember my number when they need help. I always tell them that they have the wrong number, yet they still call for money.
Yes, I grew up in a small farm town so I knew my entire family the entire time I grew up. Even with some of them losing touch over the years I keep tabs when I can, at least on the people I actually like. I don't understand why that information isn't given to everyone from a young age unless it's actually important to just cut that portion of your family off. We were never like that. We were that family that did reunions once a year and still sent every single person in the family holiday cards and stuff.
I've grown up with my first cousins, they were like brothers to me, but with time we've grown apart and now we just see each others once or twice per year.
