Family Resemblances

When I was in Florence, Italy in 1980, a young man came up to me and boldly announced in English, "You must be a H**mann (my maiden name)!"

I was stunned. First, I hadn't heard or spoken much English in the previous six weeks that I'd been in Europe so it was odd to hear a stranger address me in English. But more importantly, this man had confidently pegged me as a H**mann halfway across the world!

Before I could answer (which would have taken awhile, as my jaw was on the floor), he went on: "You have a brother named Chris."

I do have a brother named Chris!

I think I muttered something like "wow" at that point. But he just continued. "No one could look this much like Chris H**mann and not be related to him."

At that point I was able to ask, "Who are you?" and tell him that I did, indeed, have a brother named Chris.

It turns out that this guy was a friend of my brother's. We chatted for a while and he asked me to give my brother his regards when I returned home, which I did.

I dunno -- what do you think? Really, really close resemblance, or just you average similar family features (square jaw, wide mouth, big cheeks)?

My dad and I share some of those features, too:

And my aunt (Dad's sister) definitely has them -- here with my brother, Michael:

I have a feeling Chris' friend in Italy just just acutely perceptive when it came to recognizing family features. But I must say that you can tell which five of us, in this photo taken last weekend by my ten-year-old niece, are blood relatives and who is a -- very welcome -- recent additional to the family. (That'd be my dad's love, Lou, who I have come to love hugely too!)