The Wonders of Picking Up Where You Left Off...

Mine and Alejandro's Memorial Day weekend was spent in the company of the kind hosting of my sister and her husband. We spent a day at the Malibu Beach basking in sun of perfect temperature of course working on adding some freckles to our white skin. We chatted and caught up and got to know each other on car rides on the traffic-filled freeways of the LA area. We delighted in large delicious meals over conversation and inquisition. We encountered nearly twenty of the Trujillo family members at a birthday party of a cousin in Orange County, splashing in the pool, downing barbecue fares, singing horrendous renditions of "Happy Birthday", and snapping multitudes of pictures.

A concept to continually marvel at for me is that of "picking up where you left off." My uncle's new partner questioned of me: "What's it like being the cousin who lives so far away from everyone else?" Not something I often attempt to make clear, but I felt that the physical distance from this part of the family is normal for me, just the way things are and have been my entire life. My aunt quickly piped in stating, "When you are here we all just pick up where we left off."

There is that sense of comfortableness when you are among family who, though potentially dysfunctional and with their share of struggles, deeply cares in the fondest of manners for you. You simply jump into relationship when you join together, ask questions about what you know and don't, laugh about past memories, and create new ones.

I don't know their lives in their current state, though the ridiculous status updates of Facebook can offer a minor detail more than I would've known before for about one-third of that side of the family now. I don't know what's on their hearts or minds. I don't know what they do with their time, jobs, or education in great detail. But I know they are my family. My blood relatives or have married into the name. I know they love me and I love them for being who we are. I know that they will accept, hug, smooch, laugh at and with me, and support if I need it.

Though the details are convoluted because when there are that many people related to you who you have only ever sorta known you can't possibly keep it straight, my heart cares for them and truly takes joy in their company. There are other people in my life who share this honor and ability because we have just known each other forever and have a deep history. A few friends are like this, but definitely my family, two states away, a few hours plane ride, and years of not living near each other hold the "pick up where you left off" status. I am so happy we spent an entire afternoon in one place with many of us represented. I am so happy we came together. I am so happy we are family and that tie and connection allows us to embrace the concept of "picking up where we left off." Pictures to come.