My Dad's Side

above:  photo of me on my 2nd birthday, with my Dad's side of my family, in Missouri 

You can see my Mom and Dad cheesing in this photo, she has glasses on, and he has his arm around her. They look so happy.  It's my second birthday, and we are visiting Missouri.  I do know who a little under half of these people are, my relatives from my Dad's side.  My Grandma is in the blue shirt, next to her first cousin, Aunt Ruby. My blond brother is standing behind me. My Dad's sister is in the purple next to me, and my Grandpa is in the maroon on the very top right. 

I do wonder who the man in the bowtie is, and I wonder who the woman is to the left of my Dad.  My parents divorced not too long after this photo, during my second year, I think.  Maybe I was a wee bit older.  So, I grew up with my Iñupiaq side, which is an entirely different world.  

My Mom intentionally raised me to be Iñupiaq.  I would visit again at around 6 (the porch swing photo from an earlier post) and at 12 years old, I remember visiting because my Mom was getting her Masters degree in Iowa, so we went down when I was 12, and also 14 and 16.  I think.  Memories are blurred.  

The world of Missouri was a stark contrast to the world of my Iñupiaq relatives, in the Arctic.  It was quite a juxtaposition to hold, during my childhood, and even today.