The Cooks
I have been wanting to write about the five Cookies for a while, but never had the capacity to. Its become pretty obvious to me that I cannot explore my ‘core’ (meaning motivations/ideals/mind) at will. I can see I’m doing things, of course, but I cannot exactly pin down the why I’m doing them. The moments of realization come as wonderful epiphanies to me. I was telling my Sean about that, who started to defend my psyche, saying that I could explore my being at any time. I smiled when I replied, “You don’t understand, that’s part of the magic.” My inability to sum the parts makes it so wonderful when I do. And its not as if I lose the realization after it happens. It sticks with me. And sometimes I write about it.
So, before we get into anything heavy, let us talk about how weird this all is. I’m like gay besties with Drea. I’m wall posting on my ex-girlfriend’s 34 year old** sister like at least twice weekly. What’s that, you ask? Its weird, I tell you. The other day, when we called, she was like “I only have 45 minutes,” and I said, “Perfect! We’ll scratch the iceburg.” And so the beginning it was totally and fantastically weird, but I think (hope) time has made it a little less weird or cured it completely. The formula has remained the same though, folks. I bring her my girl/school/family issues, she brings relevant and only slightly mother-like advice. Plus I get to hear what life is from someone only a few theoretical years down the road. Oh yeah, Barry is sweet as hell. Barry wakes up, puts in a hard days work, then comes home and is a champ daddy, and then he plays fucking computer games. Like I said, sweet as hell. Despite whatever immaturity ever displayed on my behalf, Drea and Barry have always treated me like an adult. For that I could never thank them enough. And while this would be enough to keep any good friendship alive, there is a clear and obvious reason why I love the Cooks so dearly. Rather, there are three.
Isabella, Gabriel, and Mitchell Cook. The three makes and models of the Cook family, all unique and with excellent features. Bella was summed up perfectly Drea worriedly assured me that she is, “…so much like all the other women in my family.” Gabe-O speaks to my frantic anxiousness and the energy that comes with it. ‘Gabeocity’ is still a relevant and important term. And Mitch! Holy crap, that kid can read! He’s one and half and he can read! His brain must be SO HUGE. Anyway, they light up around me and I light up around them. Getting back to that blinding epiphany crap, the moment came when I was at dinner with them recently. The dinner was marvelous, Bella chatting on about her day, Gabe and his ridiculous questions, and Mitch with his smile. Oh boy, can that kid smile. There was one point where he frowned about something, and I just looked at him and smiled, and it took a second, but he burst out in one too. It was tops. I don’t where or at what point it happened, but I sat back and looked at the five of them and thought, ‘Jesus, this is how we used to be.” My family, I mean. This was bliss that none of them could have any conception of. We didn’t, because we didn’t have to, so they don’t either. That’s bliss. Everything was perfect, or at least as perfect as it had been for me in my childhood. A mom and a dad who’d give anything to see their kids do well and be happy. Brothers and sisters who you fight with, sure, but who you love dearly. A family, complete and whole. A good one, too.
So there it is. It isn’t one part that makes the Cook family shine for me; it is and always will be the whole of them. Coming to that made me sad to think of what had come and passed, but also reminded me of how wonderful the time I had was. The fact I want to have a family myself is another reason my experiences with the family always resonate in me. I become more confident in that every time I see them. Anyway, I’m tired now and have class at 8:30 (bleck), and a long day tomorrow.
To happiness,
Luke
*Yes, Sean is a philosophy student
**Sorry Drea, needed to for effect.
So, before we get into anything heavy, let us talk about how weird this all is. I’m like gay besties with Drea. I’m wall posting on my ex-girlfriend’s 34 year old** sister like at least twice weekly. What’s that, you ask? Its weird, I tell you. The other day, when we called, she was like “I only have 45 minutes,” and I said, “Perfect! We’ll scratch the iceburg.” And so the beginning it was totally and fantastically weird, but I think (hope) time has made it a little less weird or cured it completely. The formula has remained the same though, folks. I bring her my girl/school/family issues, she brings relevant and only slightly mother-like advice. Plus I get to hear what life is from someone only a few theoretical years down the road. Oh yeah, Barry is sweet as hell. Barry wakes up, puts in a hard days work, then comes home and is a champ daddy, and then he plays fucking computer games. Like I said, sweet as hell. Despite whatever immaturity ever displayed on my behalf, Drea and Barry have always treated me like an adult. For that I could never thank them enough. And while this would be enough to keep any good friendship alive, there is a clear and obvious reason why I love the Cooks so dearly. Rather, there are three.
Isabella, Gabriel, and Mitchell Cook. The three makes and models of the Cook family, all unique and with excellent features. Bella was summed up perfectly Drea worriedly assured me that she is, “…so much like all the other women in my family.” Gabe-O speaks to my frantic anxiousness and the energy that comes with it. ‘Gabeocity’ is still a relevant and important term. And Mitch! Holy crap, that kid can read! He’s one and half and he can read! His brain must be SO HUGE. Anyway, they light up around me and I light up around them. Getting back to that blinding epiphany crap, the moment came when I was at dinner with them recently. The dinner was marvelous, Bella chatting on about her day, Gabe and his ridiculous questions, and Mitch with his smile. Oh boy, can that kid smile. There was one point where he frowned about something, and I just looked at him and smiled, and it took a second, but he burst out in one too. It was tops. I don’t where or at what point it happened, but I sat back and looked at the five of them and thought, ‘Jesus, this is how we used to be.” My family, I mean. This was bliss that none of them could have any conception of. We didn’t, because we didn’t have to, so they don’t either. That’s bliss. Everything was perfect, or at least as perfect as it had been for me in my childhood. A mom and a dad who’d give anything to see their kids do well and be happy. Brothers and sisters who you fight with, sure, but who you love dearly. A family, complete and whole. A good one, too.
So there it is. It isn’t one part that makes the Cook family shine for me; it is and always will be the whole of them. Coming to that made me sad to think of what had come and passed, but also reminded me of how wonderful the time I had was. The fact I want to have a family myself is another reason my experiences with the family always resonate in me. I become more confident in that every time I see them. Anyway, I’m tired now and have class at 8:30 (bleck), and a long day tomorrow.
To happiness,
Luke
*Yes, Sean is a philosophy student
**Sorry Drea, needed to for effect.