So, it's been a long time since I've even touched this blog, but today I had a really interesting experience that compelled me to revisit it. A friend of mine conducted an interview, with me as the subject, on the topic of interracial relationships. It got me "googling" again, shortly thereafter. Still not a lot of info on the topic of black female/south asian male relationships. However, it surprises me a lot less than it used to. Maybe I'm still looking in the wrong places, but in any case, that's not what this entry is about. We are happily expecting a baby boy!
We will, in a few weeks, finally answer the question that most of our friends and family have been dying to know...what will our child look like? I have my suspicions that he will be absolutely adorable (slight bias there), but more than likely that he will look like most brown kids--cute and tan! (The biggest mystery that remains is what the hair plans to do. I guess in some ways I'm glad this one is a boy because if things get too complex, out come the clippers!) Most folks we know speculate that this child will be some sort of beautiful, exotic little guy--I'm not complaining about that at all, however, I've encountered several comments to the effect of "mixed kids are so gorgeous," or "mixed babies are so pretty." As compared to what, I'm not too sure. The looks gene seems to be luck of the draw as far as I'm concerned and ultimately, I'm pretty much mostly interested in the type of character traits our son will develop as we try to cultivate a caring and compassionate human being to contribute to the world.
Also, more than what our son will look like, I focus on the typical mommy worries and desires. I want him to be healthy and smart and know that he is always loved. So far, we are off to a good start. My friend asked me in the interview today how we plan to address the two cultures that will comprise our son's background. To that I responded as openly as possible. I feel it is imperative for our son to understand that he is a conglomeration of multiple ethnicities and that he should be proud of all of them. I foresee some difficult conversations ahead as he navigates his identity, but our goal is to address these issues as they arise.
For now, I'm excited about/nervous about/looking forward to the big changes that will be happening in our lives within the next seven weeks. I can't wait to meet this guy.
