The 70/30 Theory | Throwback Thursday

I have often teased Kevin that Rubina is 70% mine and 30% his. It’s just a joke in our home but when she was first born I actually used to get mad when people would mention how much she looked like Kevin with no mention of me. I never expressed this outwardly, of course; it was simply an internal anger and rage for whoever was making this outlandish claim. Because what kind of idiot couldn’t see the ratio was clearly 70/30 in my favor…right? If you have always known most of your family as your biological family than you cannot fully understand how deep the joy runs when you meet your first biological relative, as I did when I had Rubina. Our genetic relation is my favorite thing about us, odd as that may sound. Most days I still cannot believe she’s mine. Now, of course I’m teasing about the 70/30 theory because anyone who has seen Kevin and Rubina together can easily see the beautiful resemblance and I get to enjoy their similarities every day. He’s so good to me; allowing me to indulge in this ridiculous theory. Beyond her daddy, she has always looked so much like his mom and clearly has a lot of McClintock in her. I really do love this. They are good stock. I married well.

The truth is she’s all Kevin and all me; his heritage and my heritage combined. I sometimes wish she were genetically connected to my parents and brothers; as much as I have those same wishes for myself. If I’m being honest, it’s a little sad to me that she and I don’t share with them what we share with each other. I love them so much that sometimes I think it’s a shame we aren’t bound together in that way but there is an extraordinarily beautiful part… The beautiful part is this…she actually shares quite a bit with my side of the family…you just have to look and you’ll see…

Rubina has this very weird, hilarious streak in her that surely comes from my brothers daughter Brianna. Her love for books was inherited from her Auntie Kari. She has the same deep compassion for anyone hurting around her like my brother Simeon and they both have a love for all things artistic. I know that her ability to contort her face into all sorts of funny faces and her general skepticism comes from my brother, Tyler, as does her middle name. Ruby’s love for the Nordstrom cafe could only be matched by my late grandma Johnson and her affection for the color purple is something she shares with my Nana. My mom and Rubina are both wild and free spirits; spontaneous, wacky and fun beyond measure. She has my dad’s sound sense of reasoning and easy going swagger. Sometimes blood doesn’t look like blood. It isn’t always the same color or texture. Sometimes you can’t see it but it’s there. Even if it isn’t. For these things, I am thankful.