“I just didn’t know you would be so nice.”

Of all my first cousins I am the oldest, by a long way. When we were kids my family and my father’s brother’s family would all go to Pawleys Island together during the summer and we had a bunch of second cousins there too. I was older than all of them. We had years and years together, not just a Pawleys, but holidays up at the farm when both brothers retired there.

At Christmas this year my cousin Leigh, who is ten years younger than me, asked if I would teach her and her friends Mah Jongg. So we set up a class at my house.

Tonight was the last class. Everyone did well. Leigh had a big win, which her mother will be proud of.

After everyone left Leigh was talking to me about how much fun the class was. She said everyone had texted between classes about how much they liked it.

As she was going out the door she said, “You are such a good teacher. I just didn’t know you would be so nice.”

Now Leigh is a great cousin and wonderful person, but obviously her early years spent with me as her much older cousin, she must have thought of me as not nice. I am certain I was not nice plenty of times with family, especially when I was a teenager and I was stuck with little kids.

I am just happy that perhaps my reputation has changed. I am a strict teacher, but also a fun one. It’s a change to be considered nice in the family.