Cousins Undiscovered

I have written about my beloved's huge family before. We are over one hundred in number now, I've lost count. One time when my older son was a little guy he compared us to Abraham and the family he got from his "only" child. I don't see any sign of the Brown clan slowing down. The fact that Michael came from a big family was a real attraction to me. He had ten siblings, so did my daddy. Unfortunately, my dad's family hasn't done a very good job of staying in touch. My grandmother died twentyfive years ago and some of us have not been in the same room since. In the age of cell phones and email it seems we are more disconnected than ever.
I had a very pleasant surprise today. I "found" a cousin on facebook. To give some background...I met with my friend Dori for coffee this morning. We are good friends who never see each other. She understands me and I think I do her. She reminded me that she was "part raised" by my aunt Mary Mayberry who lived in Demopolis most of her life. Dori moved to Opelika about twenty years ago and I was one of her first friends. When we started talking she told me where she was from and I naturally asked her if she knew Aunt Mary with no idea she not only knew her but was treated like one of her own. I have to admit I was a bit jealous to know Dori had known her so well (she was always one of my favorite relatives) but it's so neat to know they were connected and now we are connected. When I got home I sent a note to Dori on facebook. I noticed that W. Myles Mayberry III was one of her friends...I didn't think to ask her if she kept in touch with any of Aunt Mary's children. I friend requested Myles and he responded in a few minutes. I am so glad to get a chance to get to know one of my first cousins I don't remember every talking to. Isn't that weird. I can't imagine having family so close in blood that I don't know at all. He has a brother and a sister I wouldn't recognize either. Maybe we can meet eventually. It will be strange but nice to see the kids my aunt (and sweet Uncle Myles) produced now that she is gone to Heaven. I know she is smiling about that.

...one quick story about Mary, one of the reasons I loved her so much... She knew it was a sore spot between my mother and me the fact that I had "so many" children. When I just had the girls I took them to see her. She was so loving and sweet with them, they loved her immediately. She looked up at me and asked if I was planning to have more children...I told her I would like to, but my mother gave my *%$# every time I mentioned it (not that it was up to her but you want your mother to approve of your decisions) She looked me in the eye with that precious twinkle and said "Oh Angie, have a house full!" Somehow, having her approval counted alot. She was a jewel. I really regret missing out on more of her wisdom...I did go on to have two more children they all share her wit and love of life and we have the little girls we are adopting, somehow I feel she'd be proud.