Family likeness

I never really thought that I looked much like Mum. All of my relatives on Mum's side of the family claim that I'm the spitting image of my maternal grandmother (whom I never met, as she died when I was a baby). When I was in my early 20s, Mum showed me a photo of Grandma in her late teens, claiming that my resemblance to her was striking. I couldn't see it at all.

Some years later, after I moved to Hobart, I was looking through some family photos at my uncle and aunt's house, and saw a photo of Grandma, and suddenly it hit me. The likeness was indeed quite striking. I think it has a lot to do with the dark, puffy bags I have under my eyes, and the fact that my eyes always look saggy and tired, just like Grandma's. After this significant epiphany, I got a copy of that photo of Grandma and have it in a frame at home now.

In more recent years, friends who meet Mum for the first time often comment that there is a strong resemblance there between her and me, but I still can't see it. Or at least I couldn't... until today.

I was swanning around on Facebook (as you do) and as my mouse cursor hovered over my own name on a post I'd made, it brought up a picture of my FB 'profile picture' (of me wearing my glasses, which I rarely do) inset into my FB 'cover picture' (one of Mum, at a similar angle). It suddenly hit me that yes, there is a resemblance there (even though Mum is now much thinner than I am).

Funny how it takes a particular picture, angle or juxtaposition of photos to be able to see this. (I think the resemblance is in the cheekbones and glasses ;-)

My Facebook banner, with the picture of Mum inset with my profile picture