A Family's Journey

A long and winding road parallels the coastline, scattered with beaches. The street is never busy as it twists and turns through cranberry bogs, wooded areas, and small seaside towns. Located way off the beaten path, hidden atop a cliff and enclosed by trees stands a house. Scattered fields line one side of the crushed seashell drive, while the other side is a perfectly manicured lawn so flawless it appears each blade was measured and cut. A cobblestone walkway leads up to a typical New England style cottage. Giant pines loom overhead making the three-story home appear miniature. The beautiful, glistening, free ocean surrounds the cottage on three sides. The salty smell is always present and always comforting. Never is it a chore to drive to my grandmother’s house. My family always sits in the car quietly, taking in the natural beauty of the area. As we drive along, each of us anticipates the excitement to come. The journey my family is on started in this place. As my family grows and changes, my grandmother’s home will always be at the center.

My grandmother’s home is always welcoming. As soon as the door opens the smell of home cooking seeps into my nose. Following the aroma is an embrace full of energy and love. The embracer is an older woman, short in stature and a little portly. Her hair is a mixture of fading brown and gray. It is always pinned in a bun sitting at the back of her head. A cigar bounces in the corner of her mouth as a long string of foreign words flow out. She always speaks in her native tongue, Portuguese. She is a very proud, strong, and generous person. She is the head of the family, regardless of what my grandfather believes. Our family considers her the Enforcer because she keeps everyone in line. My grandfather is a strong man, who is on the shorter side with a white Van Dyke, he always smells of wine and meat. When he is not eating or drinking, he enjoys a smoke with his wife. They are the driving force behind my family. Their home is never empty, the more the merrier. Everyone is welcome there.

Family is the number one priority in my grandmother’s book. It has and always will be. Family is at the center of the Portuguese culture and has been a huge part of my life. My grandmother always says that family shapes a person. The experiences and the knowledge are passed from member to member in order mold each other into better human beings. My grandmother’s home is where the lessons are taught and the knowledge is learned. The family is always changing with kids going off to college and marriages and babies and even deaths, however it will always be at the first priority on my list.

On the first Sunday of every month, my grandmother has a family gathering at her home. The family comes together to enjoy food, drink, and company. These three things are important aspects to our culture. My grandmother always prepares an enormous amount of food. Usually, it lines the counters in three of the four rooms on the ground floor. There is always a wide variety, everything from linguisa and kielbasa to potatoes and carrots. The house fills with smells of the homeland. Another important component is wine. My grandfather makes wine from the grape arbors he grows outside. Never a meal is served without some traditional Portuguese wine. These gatherings are a tradition of sorts with family at its core.

One thing my family is great at is talking. Silence is a word my family does not understand. Boisterous conversation drowns out the usually loud sound of the ocean crashing against the cliffs. There are several conversations going at once. Grandma and the women usually start gossiping about the recent event of their lives. Anything from what so and so heard in the hair salon to who has a new recipe. Grandpa and the men usually talk business, sports and politics. The children usually drift between the two groups to hear what everyone has to say. Even though they start off with their separate conversations the family always ends up together, laughing.
Families change and grow and evolve all the time. Mine is no different. Babies are born to excited new parents. Marriages are formed between two people in love. Life is taken when the time is right, unfortunate, but has to be done. One thing that never changes is my grandmother’s home. It is the center, the place of gathering and talking and growing. My grandfather built that house by hand when they moved here from Portugal. It stands strong against nor’easters, blizzards, hurricanes, and anything else Mother Nature can throw at it. This is the foundation upon which my family was built. This foundation my grandparents built to withstand changes and growth and evolution. Even though the family is different it is still just as strong.

The road is still long and winding. The ocean still smells sweet and salty all at the same time. The house still sits hidden atop a cliff in rural New England. The waves are still crashing and the lawn is still perfect. As I walk up to the door, I can already smell the home cooking seeping from underneath the door. Everyone is there. Family is still the most important thing in my life, my number one priority. I pause for a moment to remember the lessons I have learned. The door opens and I am immediately embraced. The people and the food and the conversation may be different, but the family is not. The journey of a family is never ending and always changing. The unexpected twists and turns, additions and even subtractions are what make a family strong. The experiences and family time enjoyed within the hidden house atop the cliff are just a part of the ever-continuing journey of my family.