my cousins Ryan and Ronnie

My cousins Ryan and Ronnie had a big impact on my life at a very young age. Ryan is two years older than me, and Ronnie is two months older. Like most younger cousins I totally looked up to them. I wanted to dress like them, watch the movies they watched, play the games they played, and overall wanted to be just like them. I will forever be grateful for the time we spent together. We spent a lot of time playing video games together. We played lots of different ones, but my favorite were the ones that had anything to do with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. For the most part me and Ryan would play together, and then Michael and Ron would play together. We would always watch each team play. It was so fun. We would walk to the video store and we would rent a PG-13 or R movie. I felt SO COOL. When they spent the night, or I spent the night there, me and Ryan usually ended up bunking together. One time a babysitter had just put me to bed, and me and Ryan could not fall asleep. I admitted to him I had a huge crush on her and wanted to get back up to be around her. This is pretty hilarious. Ryan got up and told her that I was hungry and that she needed to feed me. So about a half hour after the whole process of putting me to bed, she got me back up. Poor girl. I ate two slices of pizza as slowly as possible. Me and Ryan just hung out with her and ate pizza for an hour. It was amazing. The four of us would play Monopoly all night long. As we got a little older Goldeneye and Mario Kart were our games of choice. For a long time Dad wouldn't let me and Michael have our own Nintendo, so it was such a treat when Ryan and Ronnie brought theirs. I'm so thankful to both of our parents for making it a priority for us to hang out. We hung out and I loved it. I don't really have to much of a spiritual point. When I was with them my heart awakened. As a young kid I was sick a lot, but I pretty much forgot that when I was around them. I was a normal boy hanging out with my cousins. It is my opinion that extra hour of eating pizza with Ryan and our babysitter was more valuable than a years worth of medicine. I got to live outside of my circumstances and be a regular seven year old boy. Ryan and Ronnie, I love you. Thank you. Thank you to my parents and my Aunt Rita and Uncle Keith. You made me healthier. You loved me deeply.