A wail is heard in the labour room and as joy radiates on the newborn's mother's face, we hear questions "whom does the child resemble?" The child grows and we speak of the gestures and mannerisms being identical to another individual ranging from parents, uncles, aunts, cousins et al. Adolescence and adulthood imprints the generational Mr/Ms X as the case may be with the likelihood of this child passing on some genetic traits to another new born. This is scientifically established fact too.
In this journey, one encounters many persons with different facets. Icons from the peer group, the traits of beloved friends and unconscious absorption of the traits of ones who have influenced the moulding of the character over a period of time get assimilated into oneself.
As a child, any comparison to someone else would infuriate yours truly who believed that uniqueness was bestowed on this blessed individual. But in a decade's time evolved a nephew born of a paternal cousin sister who resembled his father in totality but in a side view or profile view startled one out of the skin with his resemblance to yours truly. In another decade another cousin from the maternal side emerged who in his adolescence was dubbed my twin. Science of genetics played its role in humbling yours truly's bloated ego.
As years rolled on we parted ways at school and college. Reunion time rolled in. the surprise of surprises was that close chums not only reminisced their days but retained a nugget from their bosom friends with whom they had parted ways over a decade ago as a trait as validated by their spouses. This brought to the fore another friendship which is treasured and chronicled in the posts
We realized that we were on different paths with different goals. We were separated as chalk from cheese. A shy reserved person had morphed into a social animal while another boisterous kid had emerged as a responsible parent and caretaker. But all retained that trait that they had borrowed from their bosom friend who also retained that trait he had shared. This would baffle even the geneticists but as they say one is to be judged by the company you keep.
Time rolled when a childhood friend who had parted ways decades ago dropped in to invite us for her daughter's wedding. The invite in itself was embedded with the traits imbibed from my mother in her childhood days.
This is a tribute to Tim Mc graw who could put it so succintly
We all take different paths, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other
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