Long story short I’ve been estranged from a whole side of my family for a reason that solely has to do with one bad aunt and one bad cousin (her son). The aunt’s other son, was 10 years old at the time that they cut us out. He stopped speaking to us too but of course, he was 10 years old, he just did what his mom said.

It’s been 10 years since then. My cousin is 20 and I’m 22. I haven’t spoken to him or anyone in his family in a decade. And now, he followed me on Instagram today. Just a follow. Nothing else. I followed him back and I’ve been waiting for him to send a message or something, but he hasn’t.

Keep in mind, this cousin never did anything wrong... he and I were actually extremely close as kids, and I really sincerely miss him so much. It brings tears to my eyes to think about the possibility that he may want to reconnect.

But what if he doesn’t reach out beyond the follow request.....? What if he’s waiting for me to message him? Do I message him? How long do I wait before trying?