작은할아버지

As I waited at the subway station for someone to pick me up, I heard my name and a smiling face that immediately said I look just like 아빠. 작은할아버지's daughter greeted me with hugs and welcome while bringing me to their home. 

The family has not seen 아빠 or any of our immediately family since more than 23 years ago, at 아빠's wedding. To be completely welcomed and accepted as family, I felt a mix of enthusiasm and regret of meeting a branch of the family tree that I didn't even know existed. 작은할아버지 reminded me that if we did not meet, we would only be able to see each other as strangers if we ever passed each other on the streets. 

Looking at 아빠's wedding photo, the last day that everyone met.

I spent most of the time going over the lives of everyone in our family with whom 작은할아버지 had lost touch. From explaining how Justin and I are on the same medical paths as 아빠, to who my cousins are, to where our family is spread out throughout America, outlining the family history was an experience. The two decades that 작은할아버지 has not been in contact corresponded with the two decades that I have been on this earth. 

Pictures proved invaluable in conveying time and faces during my visit. I brought thousands of photos on my tablet to explain who's who. 작은할아버지 showed me older pictures of the his brothers and Napa 할아버지. Photography plays different roles to different people at different times. As far as my visit, photography laid a rough visual timeline and connected our respective branches of the family tree. 

Facetiming 아빠, who they haven't seen in decades.

I felt that life has stages. These stages hold different characters, friends, family, props. They can appear quickly, prompted by moving to another country or a loss of a connection. Or stages arise slowly, just as people slow change in life. Regardless, relationships and people will disappear. But rediscovering old connections, even if not my own, will provide some clues of where we belong.