It's all greek to me....

Tonight I reconnected with my heritage. As a Kotopoulis, I have attended more than a few greek events in my lifetime, but tonight was quite possibly my most memorable.
My grandfather contributed my greek genes, but they were diluted by both my grandmother and my mother, as they were fully french-canadian. Now, I like the mix I am, and I think most people are pretty accepting of this mix (being American and all....) but there are those very few "Real Greeks" out there that are so narrow-minded that it bothers them. Take my Great Aunt for example, who told my then-boyfriend (now husband) when she first met him that if things didn't work out between us she knew a few excellent Greek Girls he could try out, and they were 100% Greek, not half like "her".
I know I should not have taken that personally, but I did. Obviously, as it was like 12 years ago and I still remember it as if it were yesterday. She was my grandfather's sister and so I just smiled and laughed while I cursed her out in my head. Certain her brother was doing the same in heaven for speaking like that to his Koukla. I think that is why maybe I am not so close to that part of the family. I really do like them all, just don't make an effort to keep in touch and we just don't seem to see each other as much as we did in the days when the older generation was alive and well.
Tonight we went to a christening for Larry's nephew Charlie, and Larry is the godfather. It was a greek orthodox ceremony and it felt strangely good to go. I felt almost like I was filling in a missing a hole by being there. I didn't really know anyone, except Larry, Karen and my parents, but I felt like I belonged. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. Not because I am part greek, but because I was there. Period.
I was worried at first. The priest came out and said "I don't mind pictures, but I do mind noise. Your kids are welcome anywhere in this church and trying to keep them quiet is often more disturbing than just letting them come up to watch." This scared the heck out of me. Paige sits still, no problem. Katie-full of questions. They both did great though, despite not really being able to see.
Then there was the after party. It was at a restaurant and they pulled out all the stops. It was like a mini wedding reception. Full dinner, DJ and open bar. Mark heard the mudslides were legendary and he was right. Apparently there is a 2.5 limit on them-they serve a half size to finish you off! They sure were tasty....
What I enjoyed the most (besides my mudslides!) was watching my kids on the dance floor. When they first saw the traditional greek dancing they chuckled, but then they wanted to try. Karen took Katie out and Paige was quick to follow. At first Paige thought it looked too complicated (Really? You are a company dancer, but line dancing is too hard?), but by the end of the night both girls had the basics. We could hardly get them off the dance floor. And everyone was so nice about letting them in, even though I am sure it made it more difficult for them to dance. It really made me realize that we need to keep this part of our heritage alive, at least in some part, in the next generation.
I know we are a big melting pot, and I do think that we should all think of ourselves as Americans first, but holding onto those pieces of our heritage is so important. Always know where you came from. It will help you know how you got where you are, and show you where you are going. Don't let those traditions die.
Kristin