People always tell me that Chloe looks a lot like me, but until recently I never really saw the resemblance. Yes, we both have thick hair – but her hair is not as dark as mine. Her eyes are hazel and mine are deep brown. Her features, when taken together, reflect a good mix of her mother and father – neither one of us overpowering the other in her reflection.
But over the weekend, while looking through hundreds of old photos in Nanny’s apartment, I came across an album documenting the young lives of my grandparents’ four grandchildren, including me. I came face to face with a photo of me, taken when I was about Chloe’s age now. And maybe it was the angle or the lighting or the pose or some combination of all of those things.
But I did a double-take when I saw it – because I didn’t recognize me at first, I recognized my dear Chloe. The nose in that old photo was like Chloe’s nose, the hair like Chloe’s hair. The expression not too different from one I’ve seen on Chloe’s face time and time again. It was eerie to see my little girl reflected in that 30+ year-old photo.
Yet at the same time, it was kind of neat. I can’t wait to show the picture to her – I think she’ll be mightily surprised. Will she think it’s cool, or will she be grossed out? Will she be proud (while she’s still young enough to be proud of her mom) or a little embarrassed that she looks so much like me?