Dining Room Table Leaves

Elaine's mom on the far left, next to her mom; and my grandma on the far right next to her's. 
I’ve been to one family reunion many, many years ago. Here’s what I remember: a LOT of older people, extreme boredom, and my long-lost Canadian ‘cousins’ in near-tears over the lack of Tim Horton’s in Michigan.

My immediate family on both my parent’s sides is small—most holidays don’t even require an extra leaf in the dining room table—and after that reunion experience, I appreciated the size. I figured when I took my family tree project last winter, I’d be able to add a little color to what I already knew, not gain additional family—but I did.

While emailing back and forth with my aunt to collect information, she got back in touch with her childhood pal and my half first cousin twice removed—Elaine, and put me in touch with her too. Soon after moving back to Michigan, I was in Elaine’s house in southeast Michigan eating chocolate chip cookies and listening to her and my mom swap stories.

Elaine is lovely; she’s warm, fun, and (unlike other distant relatives) not annoyingly obsessed with Canadian coffee. Though we’re genetically distant, Elaine’s mom and my grandma were like two kielbasa in a Kaiser roll back in the day. And with all the chatting and giggling that was going on when B and I met up with her and her son Jeff—a fellow Grand Rapidian (and ArtPrize artist!)—a few weeks ago, I think we got along just as well. B mentioned while Jeff and I laid down our personal restaurants-must-cook-food-better-than-I-can-for-me-to-want-to-pay-for-it laws, we're definitely related.

Because I had never met Elaine or Jeff, I didn’t expect to have share many mutual memories with them; but instead we had complementary ones. Elaine had stories about my grandpa I felt like I almost knew myself based on his personality, memories of old family traditions and the story behind why my great great grandmother and great grandmother immigrated to the U.S. separately. Her additions widened the memories I have and the details I’ve more recently learned.

I think when I moved back to Michigan to be closer to family, the Univerise—no doubt with the help of two short babushka’ed, pierogie fryin' ladies—took note and introduced another dining room table’s leaf worth of family.

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