I tend to be quiet when there’s a group of people sitting around, talking.  It’s just my nature to sit still and absorb.  Lately I’ve heard several crew members on the ship talking about their families.

There was a lot of excitement when we launched from Earth more than six months ago.  Sure, there was sadness, too, as we slowly pulled away from the tug of gravity…and the tug of families.

Now it seems that we’ve all grown up, more so than we would have back home.  Responsibility (and a few near-death experiences) will do that to you.  I’ve mostly noticed it in the way people talk about their loved ones.  You would think it would be a lot of “I miss them,” or ”I wish I could hug them right now.”

There might be a touch of that, but what I’m mostly hearing is something different.  Most of my fellow travelers have looked inward, and have discovered the best qualities of their parents, grandparents, brother and sisters.  They suddenly notice that they have their father’s sense of humor, or their mother’s curiosity.  They are seeing the threads that tie all families together, beyond just the physical traits.  We are all
fragments of our parents’ personalities, and many of us are just now discovering what a gift that can be.

I miss my dad every day.  I keep his photo beside my bed, and his memory in my heart.  Yet as each day passes, I find that there are pieces of him bumping around inside me, showing up in ways I would never have expected.

Is it because we’re missing them that we’re finding this out?  Or would we have discovered it no matter what?  At what age do most young people really see their parents for the first time…I mean, really see them?

(How about it, Galahad fans?  Any thoughts on what Triana has to say?  You’re always welcome to post your comments!)