Spitting image

Recently our local newspaper started up a weekly feature called (something along the lines of) “Grandma and Grandpa’s Pride & Joy” – a full-page spread of kiddie pictures sent in by doting grandparents. Dana and Bruce sent this photo of Liam in a while ago, and it figures that the paper would publish it when they aren’t here to see it! (Never fear, we have saved a copy).

A few coworkers, etc. who saw the paper have commented on it, but the oddest experience came on Saturday morning when I was at my yoga class at the gym. A woman who I recognize as being a fellow classmate (though I don’t even know her name, and I wouldn’t think she knows mine) came up to me and said that must have been my son in the paper this week – she could tell because he looks exactly like me.

There are similarities between us, sure, but I still wouldn’t consider Liam to be my spitting image. The red hair, for one thing. And when I go to yoga class, it’s with raging bedhead – I don’t have the ‘fro going on like Liam has in this pic. Still, it was kind of neat to have a virtual stranger see a connection like that.

But, at Chad’s family Christmas get-together, the aunts and uncles were commenting on how seeing Liam running around took them back 30 years – doesn’t he look exactly like Chad did at that age? So I ask you – how is it possible to have it both ways?