Why Growing Up In Utah Strengthens Family Bonds

I thought it was pretty cool growing up in California, at least back in the day. We had the beaches, a lot of trends started in Hollywood and the rest of the country all seem to want to emulate us. I mean c'mon! Disneyland!

But now I find I may have missed out on more than I realized by growing up there, and that growing up in a place, say like Utah, might have had more benefits than I thought.

One thing that seems to be a part of the Utah culture that was absent from the culture I grew up in is the family reunion. I know, we tend to poke fun at this tradition, think the Farley Family Reunion from several years ago, but it really is a tradition that I wish I had been a part of when I was a kid.

We didn't get together as extended family all that much when I was younger and I really missed out on spending more time with people who really can be some of the best friends you can have as a kid. I'm talking about cousins. This is on my mind because today is National Cousins Day.

Each year on July 24, National Cousins Day offers a chance to honor and celebrate the unique bond between cousins. Often considered our first friends, cousins are the family members who share not only our heritage but also childhood memories, family gatherings, and lifelong connections.

Brothers and Sister Without The Torment

Cousins can feel like siblings, especially in close-knit families where holidays, birthdays, and summer vacations are spent together. But they don't come with the baggage that siblings have, like locking you in the attic when they felt like it. They are often our co-conspirators during family reunions and the people who understand family dynamics better than anyone else. Whether you grew up just a few houses apart or only saw each other during holidays, cousins help shape our experiences and deepen our family roots.

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On those occasions when we did get together, it was a great time. You see, while our parents were out doing adult things, we kids were left to our own devices, and we had some pretty wicked devices.

I only had cousins on my moms side of the family. For my dads parents, we were the only grandchildren, so we started out with a cousin disadvantage. But when we got together with moms brothers and their families it was total fun.....until we got caught.

Today, some of you may reach out and reconnect with their cousins—whether through a phone call, a funny text, or a shared photo from years past. National Cousins Day is a perfect excuse to plan a get-together, reminisce over childhood stories, or even start a new tradition.

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Sadly, I won't be doing that today. No, not because my cousins are gone, I just simply don't know where they are. And that's sad. Sometimes when I talk with my sibling I'll ask, “hey do you know where our cousins are?” They don't. We've just lost touch, and I'm sad about that.

Next time your kids groan about be hauled off to the family reunion for the year, remind them that they will get to reconnect with some of their best friends.