The Many Colours Of Travel: Turquoise - #1

In Uncle Robin's Living Room

We have often wondered about my son's eye colour and where he gets his sky-blue-could-almost-be-turquoise eyes. Although most of my side of the family has blue eyes, they are primarily grey-blue, not startling like his are.

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Eleven years ago I had the joy of meeting one of my husband's uncles. Everything about our visit with him left a lasting impression on me. His Dwell-magazine worthy home - that he had almost entirely built himself. The fact that he was an artist in a minute field of expertise. His passion for beauty and creating. His stories. He had walls of books and classical music I wanted hours to explore. He had over fifty acres of lush, native Kiwi vegetation that he walked every day and he was turning it all into a conservation site. He regaled and charmed us and we were so looking forward to meeting with him again.

What I had not yet heard about was how he used to be a school teacher. That he published teaching books for the students he taught just so they could have learning material. And how his photographs of insects and animals in those books were so groundbreaking in the '60s that his photos are still used in Natural History Museums today.

And what I had completely forgotten was the colour of his eyes.

They are turquoise blue.

The two of them are born almost 70 years apart and share a great deal of DNA - but my son and his great uncle are more than that - they are kindred spirits.

Family is powerful.