When me and my sister were born, our parents received a set of small statues to represent our family. Over the years, the set has been split up. I don’t know what my mom did with the pieces she received when they divorced, but I haven’t seen them since. My dad keeps his out in our front room, even if he’s removed the piece of the set that represents my mother, he keeps the set pieces representing me, my sister, and him. This signifies that even though me and my sister’s mother isn’t a part of his family now, we still are a part of it. It feels sweet. My family migrated from California to here, because my mom married someone who lived here and took us with her. My dad followed us, moving here in about 2019 after trying to make commuting back and forth work. That ultimately led to the dissolution of his second marriage, as they couldn’t make long distance work. The set of statues, and the missing pieces, represent how our family is less  “blended” and more  split. It works as a split family, I can’t imagine my mom and dad getting back together again. I doubt it would go well if it ever did happen. They’ve been divorced since I was three and a half, and my sister was about one. However, the small gesture of my dad keeping the figurines out proudly makes me hopeful that, blended or split, we do have a family. 

– Edie Grove

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more