Family Reunion

Dear Friends,
After spending a fair amount of time in front of the mirror, repairing with artistry what nature has taken away so cruelly, finally, I call a taxi to take me uptown, to meet my cousins.
I'm excited, but nervous. As per usual I arrive early, so I go to a nearby Korean coffee-shop and have an herbal tea, all the while picturing my cousins and their families whom I barely know. 

As I enter the Iranian restaurant, the strong smell of kabob chases away the butterflies in my stomach. I  recognize the hostess, a cousin whom I haven't seen in 35 years. She introduces her children and grandchildren to me. I'm not sure if they all speak Farsi. 
As unfamiliar faces keep appearing through the doors, I'm swept away by whirlwind of names, professions and addresses. I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one who doesn't know everybody. 

Finally, thirty-six guests, most of whom connected to one another by a certain percentage of the same blood, sit down to eat. Fifteen descendants of my great grandfather (on my father's maternal side), along with their spouses and other cousins, form an amazing cross-generational tapestry, displaying a unique collection of minds and lives. 
A few are bound by childhood memories, a few only by their resemblance to our elders who have already left us, but bilingual conversation flows naturally, removing all barriers. I can't help but acknowledge that I'm having a very pleasant afternoon, getting to know my seventy year-old cousin who lives in Iran, as well as my five year-old one who lives in Virginia.

As we get ready to return to our lives, some of us only a few subway stations apart, I notice handshakes have become stronger and hugs tighter. Although everybody's reciprocal "Lovely to see you, we should keep in touch," reflects sincerity, no one, including myself, asks for, or volunteers a phone number or an e-mail address. 

Tonight, while picking up off the floor piles of "unsuccessful outfits" that didn't make it to the restaurant, I can't help but think that perhaps, family reunions are not meant to turn into permanent relationships. They are meant to be enjoyed in the moment. Accepted and filed! What have you accepted and filed today?