Adams (birth) Family Gathering, 2023

Christine, our young ladies and I recently attended an extended weekend family gathering of "cousins," etcetera, via my birth mother's family (you can see wee Aoife in the background of this picture, upon my shoulders), which was enormously fun. It was the first I'd met most of them, having previously interacted with birth mother a couple of times, as well as three of her six siblings. It was absolutely lovely! Apparently there are around twenty cousins, with twelve in attendance at this event (myself included). I spent two full days in the company of a variety of relatives, some of whom I'd been interacting with here and there via social media, and none save one cousin and birth mother's siblings who even knew I existed, prior to three years ago.

Julie, myself + birth mother, Elsie

It was odd to be in a grouping of anyone who looked like me, let alone so many. I am deeply grateful to my cousin Julie and her husband John, who hosted the weekend at their old stone house just outside Moscow, Ontario (north-ish of Napanee/Kingston). And only the third (and fourth) time I'd seen birth mother in person! And only the second time she'd seen our young ladies! So the opportunity to connect (and ask questions/gather stories) was invaluable.

It was a surreal experience, as one might imagine, but I attempted to be in the moment as much as possible, and not overthink the whole thing. Cousins! So many cousins! (although perhaps it would be nice to get some social gatherings happening via the rest of my ongoing family as well? it has been years since we've done something like that).

Adams: descended from Dr. Samuel Adams, UEL (which means, also, that Ottawa writer Miller (formerly Sylvia) Adams, who ran The TREE Reading Series before I did, and was even a neighbour during the early 1990s, is a distant relative, which is pretty cool).

Oh, and you caught the t-shirt I made for the event, yes? I had to make an entrance, after all.