It Runs in the Family

Do you ever spend time pondering basic facts, and it dawns upon you that there is a simple beauty to them? I recently was pondering the simple beauty found in families.

I was spending time with my lovely Grandma Rosetta. Grandma and I always laugh about the fact that we have the same horrible sense of direction. I don't mean 'not being able to find north sometimes' bad, I mean 'get lost in your hometown' bad. Grandma tells me a story about how she got lost, and I tell her a similar one. My Grandma and I both love books and knitting and catching up over tea. As we visited over a teapot full of jasmine white tea, she said an expression that was comforting to me. Later I thought about how it was comforting to me because my mother says it. Then I realized that it is probably comforting to my mom because her mom said it.

After leaving my Grandma's house in my hometown (no, I didn't get lost) I went and tracked down my dad. My dad is a UPS driver and has delivered the same route for many years, so it was easy for me to drive down his route until I found him. As I stood outside his truck and visited with him for about 10 minutes, I thought about what I get from my dad. His broad smile, love of the outdoors, and deep value for the happiness of others, which I think he gets from his mom. I thought of the massive sneezes and yawns I inherited from him, which I also see in his brothers and sisters. I think of his laugh, which sometimes sounds like my Grandpa's laugh.

As I drove home I thought about the other pieces of my family that are in me. I certainly got my aunt's love for shopping. I got my mom's warmth, heart on my sleeve, and ability to make conversation with just about anyone. My Grandpa on my mom's side called me Mrs. Yellow when I was little, and now I see that he gave me my favorite color. 

I thought about the parts of me that are in others. I think of my cousins and the similar smiles we share. The love of Disney movies and quirky sense of humor shared between my sister and I. The way we will buy the same item of clothing separately. The countless songs and memories that recount our childhood. The way we both collapse a little bit when we laugh real hard recounting those memories. The way her little boy sings nonstop just like I do. The way her little girl sometimes looks like me when she does her shy smile. I think of how their dad's silliness and their mom's sweetness runs through them.

I came home to my husband, who holds a combination of generosity, peacefulness, hospitality, and humor from his parents. I think of his siblings and how they all share a similar joy that radiates through all they do. 

Things run in families, genetically and interpersonally. This is a basic fact. When you stop to look though, and focus on the simple, tiny nuances that make us alike from generation to generation, it is pretty amazing.

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