Emerson Shuster

I love my family. They always believe in me. I know we can handle anything together. Last month, my cousin Ella and I were lying on our guest bed watching television when my Uncle suddenly walked in with my Aunt and other cousins, Maryn and Benjamin. He told me we were having separate family meetings and that I needed to go to my parents’ room for my family meeting. With concern in our eyes, Ella and I looked at each other. As I headed upstairs, a million thoughts ran through my mind.

My mother began by telling us that this decision had been thought through very carefully, that it wasn’t made lightly; and finally tells us my cousin Maryn is moving in with us and attending her freshman year at our local high school. My first reaction was excitement because I only see my cousins a maximum of twice a year. Soon after that, however, my heart dropped. What about Ella and Benjamin? While my family was adding one, my cousins were losing one. When my family finished our talk, we anxiously waited for my cousins to meet us in the family room. As the minutes moved as fast as a tortoise, all I wanted to do was see Ella and Benjamin. Finally, the door crept open, and they all filed out. With red, puffy eyes and tears dried on her face, Ella was last. Immediately, I found myself with my arms around her; however, by the end of our eleven-person conversation, everyone felt better.

After that conversation three short weeks ago, I helped Maryn move into my room and made it feel like her own; and now I sleep in the guest bedroom when I’m home. It was an adjustment for everyone, but together we made it work.

(Pictured above is me [in the Go Dawgs shirt] along with my family including my cousin Maryn when they came to visit me in Athens)