a super big boy combo, and fifty-six years

alicia and i are utterly blessed to have been borne into the families that surround us. nearly two weeks ago she wrote a candid and emotional piece in memory of her grandfather, a man who i fast learned was the very thing i should strive to be in her life. he provided her with unmatched love. security. he was her rock. and the way she speaks of both he and her grandmother, the admiration of their marriage, is a thing so familiar, a thing i hold for my own grandparents as well.

only days ago my mom's parents celebrated the anniversary of their marriage. the story of how they met—a blind date at the original bob's big boy—epitomizes the core of their union. the commitment to follow through, beyond the nerves of a a set-up like a blind date, is at the heart of their remorse for not attending my recent graduation from emerson college. it was the first graduation of any kind, of all of their grandchildren, that they'd missed. and that alone, their remorse, meant more to me than having them present for the silly ceremony.

and today marks the anniversary of the wedding of my dad's parents.

six years ago this weekend all ten of their kids and spouses, and twenty-five grandchildren, were at lake george to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary. today makes fifty-six. it's a large family, and it's remarkable how well the family gets along. you'd think anytime the families gather it was a reunion of college friends, and not brothers and sisters. as a child, i looked to my nana and papa as though they were saints. they held this mythical sort of air in my mind, and it was unheard of in my subconscious to ever even dream of crossing either of them. i was no angel as a kid, but in their presence, i at least attempted—though not always successfully—to be nothing less. it's a testament to their union, and again, the endless love they've showered upon their family.

i cringe at cliché and sentiment, and i know how deeply i've delved in both here, but when it comes to family, you'll always get the underbelly of my coarse core. it's because of family that this blog exists—and is the reason i decided upon the strange and obscure title that people mistake to have to do with bellybuttons—and to this point, it's my family that have proven to be my most loyal readers. thanks for that, and with a guilty and unsatisfied conscience, i apologize for not better expressing my gratitude and appreciation for all that you've provided for me.