My Cousins and I

There will always be people
who pass in and out of our lives,
but family never leave.
There I was,
surrounded by people whom I love.
My two cousins, Christian and Samantha.
This is how I wish it was all the time.
79 degrees,
few clouds,
and trees everywhere.
We were happy.
They were teenagers,
I was twelve,
They knew what they wanted to do in life,
I had no clue.
Samantha would go on to work with children,
teaching and playing with little kids,
But Christian was gone two months later
fighting his way through Iraq.
Leaving his family for the first time,
Protecting me and our family and our country.
I was young,
but I was old enough to realize that he may not return.