Three Short Stories About Family
1.
Less than two weeks old, and my newest nephew’s features have already been apportioned out to various family members. To his father, his high, noble nose. To his mother, those luminous eyes and those shapely feet. We have even unearthed some long-deceased great-aunt to be responsible for the baby’s tiny monkey fingers.
All families must do this, I suppose, but I’ve always thought that Korean families manage to find family relationships in the most unremarkable of body parts. Ankles, for example. Who notices ankles? And yet, my mother swears, this baby is the recipient of two miniature replicas of her ankles. There is hardly an inch of anatomy on my nephew’s Frankenstein body that has not been donated by one relative or another. I, myself, am told that I am responsible for the melon-like hugeness of the baby’s head, and for his broad, featureless brow.
2.
My oldest nephew, meanwhile, doesn’t look a thing like me, but he and I are alike in more important ways.
Yesterday morning, when I was getting ready to go with him and his mom to get a cup of ice cream, he stopped me at the door, put up one hand, and said, “Uncle, you can not go out dressed like that.”
This, of course, is the same little boy who, when I asked what he wants to be when he grows up, said to me, “Cinderella!” And I wanted to tell him, “Oh, girl. Don’t we all.”
3.
My sister has been getting the usual set of post-natal gifts from friends and colleagues. I happened to be there when a set of her coworkers dropped by to see the baby and leave a small gift. There were wee little baby clothes, and a set of wee tiny stuffed rabbits.
When the guests had left, my mom opened the present and fingered through the offerings.
“Hmph,” she sniffed. “Target.”
Just in case you ever wondered where I got it from.
Less than two weeks old, and my newest nephew’s features have already been apportioned out to various family members. To his father, his high, noble nose. To his mother, those luminous eyes and those shapely feet. We have even unearthed some long-deceased great-aunt to be responsible for the baby’s tiny monkey fingers.
All families must do this, I suppose, but I’ve always thought that Korean families manage to find family relationships in the most unremarkable of body parts. Ankles, for example. Who notices ankles? And yet, my mother swears, this baby is the recipient of two miniature replicas of her ankles. There is hardly an inch of anatomy on my nephew’s Frankenstein body that has not been donated by one relative or another. I, myself, am told that I am responsible for the melon-like hugeness of the baby’s head, and for his broad, featureless brow.
2.
My oldest nephew, meanwhile, doesn’t look a thing like me, but he and I are alike in more important ways.
Yesterday morning, when I was getting ready to go with him and his mom to get a cup of ice cream, he stopped me at the door, put up one hand, and said, “Uncle, you can not go out dressed like that.”
This, of course, is the same little boy who, when I asked what he wants to be when he grows up, said to me, “Cinderella!” And I wanted to tell him, “Oh, girl. Don’t we all.”
3.
My sister has been getting the usual set of post-natal gifts from friends and colleagues. I happened to be there when a set of her coworkers dropped by to see the baby and leave a small gift. There were wee little baby clothes, and a set of wee tiny stuffed rabbits.
When the guests had left, my mom opened the present and fingered through the offerings.
“Hmph,” she sniffed. “Target.”
Just in case you ever wondered where I got it from.
posted by Peter at 12:34 AM
2 Comments:
Congratulations on the nephew. People say I have my mom's face--not just one feature, but her whole face. She's a lot prettier than me, though.
My 4-year-old nephew is the spitting image of me from when I was a kid, and he even parks his Matchbox cars like I did, in even rows---that spooked me.
There's no way you're responsible for his head, though---they need to look back over both your shoulders up the family tree for that one.
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