Andrea Bell

I am technically an only child....my parents only have one child...me.  However, I don't feel like an only child.  My first cousin, who is six months younger than me, has always been a big part of my life and seems more a sister than a cousin.

My earliest memories of Andrea Beck
Every Christmas, I would receive just a few nice gifts...like beautiful, collectible dolls not for playing with, keepsake jewelry, or nicely bound books.  I was always surprised and delighted by these gifts and contented with my Christmas haul....until....my lovely cousin Andrea would come to our grandparents house with her ginormous garbage bag full of loot, the likes of which I had never seen before.  Anyone who knows my Aunt and Uncle know that they are professional yard sale shoppers.  Every year for Christmas, they would gather cheap but hours-of-entertainment-for-a-child odds and ends...but also really cool toys.  It only took a few minutes for me to show her my presents and then an eternity for us to get to the bottom of that garbage bag!
From the earliest time that I can remember, Andrea has been consistently friendly and a friend to many.  At a very young age, I admired this about her and knew that I wanted to be more like that.  People just are drawn to her because she is beautiful, outgoing and genuinely caring about others...and she has always been that way.  I have spent a significant portion of my life trying to be more like my cousin.  I'm so thankful for the influence she has always had on me.
Something should be said here about my Aunt and Uncle.  They are rock solid in their Christian faith just like my parents.  My Aunt Nettie is retired now but when she was working as a teacher, she was the one parents hoped their child would have.  She is a very talented artist and has the most calm and pleasant demeanor.  Just her presence is calm and relaxing.  My Uncle Bruce is a true servant to many.  He would do anything for anyone and is so friendly to even strangers.  When Andrea was growing up, he would send extra lunch money with her to school and tell her to find someone who needed it.

Working overseas with Mission Lazarus

Now that we are older, and both married, Andrea and I live a great distance from each other...so we don't get to see each other often.  Even though this is the case, no more than three days go by without a call or a text.  She also came to stay with me soon after each birth of my children.  My cousin is a social worker and has a lot of counseling experience.  Whenever I have an issue and need to talk to someone about how I should handle it, she is the one I talk to.  She is down-to-earth, calm, reasonable, and grounded in her Christian faith.  When I feel like I'm losing it, she puts everything into perspective.  She gives me practical advice for maintaining emotional health.  I could not have gotten through Postpartum Depression without her.

When my daughter was born, I knew I didn't want her to be an only child.  I wanted her to have the blessing of a sibling.  My relationship with my first cousin, Andrea Bell, is the main motivation for that wish.  I'm so thankful to have her in my life.