It Feels the Same

I went to visit some family (my aunt, my uncle, and three of my cousins) today. After arriving, everything felt wrong. Everything felt different almost as if everything had changed. I'm not wrong though. So much has changed and yet it feels the same. 

Lots of changes have taken place since the last time I saw these specific members of my family. My uncle had a medical issue come up recently; I was so afraid when I heard. My aunt's hair is finally turning gray. My cousins are all older now. Rabia, the youngest of the three, and Usama, the middle of the three, have braces. Sumyya will be getting braces soon. I realized that while they have gotten older, their personalities have remained solid. They haven't changed much at all, and that's saying a lot especially since I haven't seen them in a long time. Some of my cousins in New York seem to have changed when I go see them after a long time, but that's not the case with my three Virginia cousins. 

My Virginia cousins, as I'll call them now, haven't changed personalities too much. They still make me laugh just as much as they always have. They still teach me all sorts of new things. And they always have plenty of stories to tell. I've learned that soil is not cake so there's no reason to know how many layers there are, courtesy of Usama. Sumyya and Usama shared how they get free things when they're away for college. And they also informed me of a story in which a husband was snapping pictures while his wife was getting attacked by an animal, or animals, at a petting zoo. Oh, and I've also learned some of the delicacies that some countries have...it's pretty disgusting stuff so I'll spare you the horror. 

Initially, when I walked in and sat down, it felt different. It took a little bit of time before I felt the same as I had when I was a child. That warm feeling that I've always felt before hasn't left. It's always going to be there, in that house, for as long as they continue to live there. I never want to lose that feeling. The feeling of belonging, of love, of warmth and familiarity. No matter how many years pass or how much we grow, that feeling will always remain.

Note: This post was meant for May 19th, 2012. I kind of came back late from their house so this is why it's so late.