The other day, Chris and I were at his aunt and uncle’s house, and I was sharing stories about my mother’s reaction to finding out my dad had blockages in his arteries that required his bypass surgery last month. As I’m sharing these stories regarding how the need for surgery to my mother sounded like a death sentence (hence, why she called me in tears, saying that I needed to come home because my father may die the next week), his oldest female cousin’s face reflected a shock and pain that few others have expressed. Most people have laughed or chuckled at the over reaction, but his cousin said she could imagine being in my mom’s position and hearing the news, thinking that her husband’s life was going to end, as well as hers. She said she could even imagine responding to the situation similarly, if not exactly the same as my mom did.

As I am telling Chris’s family about my parents, they are becoming more and more eager to meet them to see what they are like in person. What will be interesting is how they all get along with each other, and what my mother will actually think of all of them.