It is not the fact that I didn’t expect it, or the fact that my idealistic family of cousins will not all always be in Florida.

First I was angry because I didn’t think he would be safe. My little cousin enlisted in the Marines. He’s 18. He’s young, and I don’t think that anyone who is 18 should be able to make that decision. He knows he’s going to get sent overseas. And I know he believes in our country to an extent, but it’s the reasoning behind this decision that bothers me, especially since they recruited him in ONE day.

Yes, he needs a change, and needs to be able to get out of his parents house. Yes, he needs more freedom and less restrictions, because he’s old enough and should be able to be responsible for himself. If you want your life to be like a frat party, go to fucking college and join a fraternity. Don’t go to war. Don’t kill people and put yourself in a position to be killed. Talk to your family. WHO LOVES YOU. So I’m angry. I’m the oldest girl cousin, and I always feel responsible for the little ones, even though we’re all older now and starting our lives. I want them where I can see them, where I know that they’ll be safe, and where I can drive to if they get hurt. They won’t let me drive to Iraq if something happens.

So now we have one cousin in the Army, two in the Coast Guard, one in the Navy, and one in the Marines.

And they all better be kept safe or someone is going to be in trouble.