Many college students spend their Spring Break on a tropical island, somewhere warm or back in their hometown getting drunk with their neighborhood friends they haven’t seen in months. I spent my Spring Break doing something far more important than all of those things. I spent my week off from classes with the sources of my happiness, my cousins Lucas and Jaxon.

Waking up before nine in the morning every day was totally worth it, especially since it meant I got to spend time with both of my cousins, one before he went off to school, and the other until it was time for him to go back home. Life is not easy, but with my cousins by my side, it is a little easier. Their smiles light up the room, and light up my heart even brighter. It does not matter that my cousins are so much younger than me, because the way they make me feel is extraordinary. Whether we are just laying around watching a movie or playing blocks, they never fail to make me laugh, and feel on top of the world. It amazes me day in and day out how incredibly smart they are.

Lucas knows so much about boats, hunting and the world in general, and he will grow up to be an amazing man one day, and I can not wait to see all of the spectacular things he does. He inspires me to be the best version of myself I can be everyday, and I am beyond proud of his perseverance and determination to push until he succeeds in every situation that he comes upon. Jaxon was diagnosed with Autism at the beginning of the year, and he also has a hearing impairment, causing him to need hearing aids, or as I call them, super ears.

Despite all of these things, Jaxon is the smartest two year old I have ever met. Each day he proves to me that he is defying the odds, and he will become more than his diagnosis. Whenever I hear that Jaxon is coming over, I immediately get happy no matter the mood I was in prior, because I know there is going to be a chance for me to not only help Jaxon grow, but watch him grow into the amazing boy I know he is becoming. Being away at college is tough, because I miss out on a lot of major milestones in both Jackson and Lucas’ lives. Sometimes the only way I can experience these memories is through pictures and videos that are sent to me, but this week I was able to enjoy these things happening with my own two eyes.

Jaxon showed me he can spell his name by picking out the letters out of an assortment of the alphabet, and it brought tears to my eyes. Not only could he spell his name but he could say it, and he began showing affection toward me that he had never shown before. Jaxon would take my hand and even sit on my lap and watch videos on my phone with me, and that was by far the most heartwarming thing. I was making a difference in his life, and he finally proved to me that I do exist to him, and I could not be more grateful. As for Lucas, not only had he grown taller, but he was telling me these facts that I had not even known myself. He was doing math in his head and using words that I didn’t understand the meaning of. He is not so little anymore, and I am so thankful for the things I learn from him each day. My cousins are my best friends, and are two of the most important things in my life. They make me who I am and without them, I lack a sense of happiness.

So here is my advice for all of you out there who think Spring Break is meant for blacking out and getting as far away from reality as you can: life is about more than that. Life is about making the most of today, and living for tomorrow, and in the process creating memories you will never forget. Life is precious, and tomorrow is not promised so I believe that we must take it all in while we can. My cousins mean the world to me, and I know that spending time with them is way more important to me than going on some extensive vacation or drinking my sorrows away.

Lucas and Jaxon, I know that you are not old enough to understand now, but you both are my everything, and I am beyond proud of the people you are becoming. Thank you for giving my life meaning and purpose. I love you, always and forever.

Xoxo,

Your Favorite Cousin.