Cousins and Happy Memories

May 4, 2022 - Written by Dorothy "Louise" Beasley

Well, I am back again to write about losing someone dear to my heart.  My cousin Doreen passed away after a short illness on March 29, in the Foothills Hospital.  Makes one realize how important it is to live life to the fullest. Get done what we would love to become, what we would love to do during our life on earth and be blessed with all that we have right now, in this present moment.  

Doreen and I were born six months apart and we grew up together. Our mothers were sisters and during the summer months they only lived a few miles apart so our summers as families were spent together, at each other's homes as we were growing up.  

When we got older we also spent time together and happened to go to our first Prom night in the same group of teenagers as we also grew up with.  I believe there were  6 of us, 3 girls and 3 boys and we were all going to the Senior Prom in Bassano.   We lived about an hour away from Bassano and so we all piled into a car and headed for Bassano.  

The boys had forgotten to buy us corsages, so they came up with a plan to purchase potted plants with blooms on them and we bought pins to pin them onto our dresses.  It was hilarious and something we have never forgotten.  Doreen and I used to laugh and laugh about it and it is still so funny to this day.   

I think we ended up buying two potted plants, they should have been carnations but the only thing we found were geraniums.   Can u imagine what a red geranium flower would look like pinned to a dress?   The flowers kept coming apart and then the petals would fall all over the place. Eventually we through them all in the garbage and didn't worry about not having corsages for the night.  

We had gone together as boy and girl friends, although some of us had never been out before that with a boyfriend, other than being friends all our lives going to school together.  It was so different having to live into acting as if we were romantically interested in each other that night, as it was the thing to do.  

I was a Tomboy most of my life spending time with boys who were my best friends and neighbours/cousins as well.  The night did not go well for me and the boy who had been partnered with me was bewildered as to why I couldn't play the part of a romantic partner.   

After thinking and acting like a boy for all of my 16 years previously, as I helped my dad with the Farm and cattle, never had done things as a girl. Kissing felt so weird, as the young man I was paired up with had always just been a really good friend, snaring gophers together and talking.  

It wasn't his fault I couldn't get into the mood of kissing, it was me.  The others in the car were smooching and such, but I just could not go there in my mind, let alone for real.  We had some awkward moments until the Driver of the vehicle decided we better get on home.  Such were the days of dating, that was the last for quite a while for me.  

Doreen continued to date boys, as she was raised as a girl, liked the romantic things she did with boys. I never did go on another outing with those particular friends again.  No harm done, lots of laughs over the flower incident for many years afterwards.   I think of that whenever I see a corsage or a flower put on someone when they are dressed formally and it brings a smile to my face and a giggle too.