One-Call-Away Connections
Until Life Brings Us at Hug-Length
For those who believe emotional proximity is the first meaningful occurrency.
French Connections was made to be read like a letter—slowly, personally, and with someone in mind. The stories stay close, even after the last line.
For Blushers (Founding Members), as part of the Love Lexis Series.
Both my families are polar opposites in how they operate and remain connected. On my father’s side, the emeritus members possess expansive, far-reaching minds and an appetence for wondrous sights. With a decade or more of experience in the world, they hold Doctorates, with lives established across the globe. Take, for example, the four sisters: the two eldest now reside in France, while the younger two, like modern-day pirates, have ventured overmountains and -seas. Thousands of miles and six to eight time zones away, L. has made her home in Japan for the past eight years, and the youngest, A., has settled in Canada.
Since my brother and I were among the youngest cousins, we never had the chance to cultivate deeper, more mature bonds with them before they set out to realize their own hopes and aspirations. Such bonds typically come with time and shared experiences while our interactions were mostly polite salutations exchanged over the phone. Though unmistakable, they never quite dialed home the warmth we had hoped for.
Upon turning 18, I was presented with the opportunity to take part in an academic exchange abroad—my first extended period away from home. I chose Toronto—partly out of a desire to avoid feeling homesick in a culturally unfamiliar environment. Moreover, the proximity of my cousin A. was a compounding factor in my decision; it provided a balance between my desire for adventure—same genes, it shows—and my wish for familial reconnection. I was definitely looking forward to it.
