Pretend Cousins

Josie misses her cousin Drew. She noticed that we saw most of his family yesterday but now he is off at college.

I remembered that he wouldn't be here at Thanksgiving but I suggested that maybe we will get to see him at Christmas. Not necessarily on Christmas but Christmas break. Thats what I meant.

To Josie these were one in the same and her eyes narrowed and her mouth puckered and as her arms crossed in defiance she let me have it.

"No. We are not seeing him at Christmas. No. No way, Mom. I'm seeing Cristina, Madeline and Buddy on Christmas. Remember?"

"You're right. You're right. Maybe we can see Drew after Christmas," I said. "This Christmas we will be with your other cousins."

"Yes, This Christmas I will be with my pretend cousins and next Christmas with my real cousins."

I laughed at all of the different ways of interpreting that statement. Most obviously, those are opposites that Josie understands. Each night we talk about how Mommy and Daddy are real and the monsters and dragons she sees on TV or in books are pretend. The only reason she sleeps most nights is because she has come to understand that real and pretend are completely different words to describe completely different things.

But who wouldn't want to believe that her cousins on So Cal are pretend? Fantastical characters that come to life only when she crosses over the grapevine. Cousins whose eyes light up so bright when they see her that she knows they only have eyes for her - at least for the few days we are visiting. Cousins like hers that are that happy to see her or that willing to play with her couldn't possible be real.

But this Christmas, Josie will eagerly jump into the world of pretend, even if thats where the monsters lived too. Because her time with her pretend cousins is definitely worth the risk.