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Listen » MJ Seide talks to her granddaughter Genna Alperin
“There was this hole that I had all of my life.”
MJ Seide talks to her granddaughter Genna Alperin about falling in love with her partner, Genna's biological grandmother.
Recorded in Norfolk, VA
Credits
Produced by Nadia Reiman.
Facilitated by Jeremy Helton.
Recorded in partnership with WHRO .
Transcript
Click here to read the transcript for this story.
Interview transcript
Genna Alperin (GA): How has your life been different than what you thought it was gonna to be?
MJ Seide (MS): I thought that my life was probably not one that was gonna be worth living. There was this hole that I had all of my life because, I never thought I'd be able to walk along the beach and hold somebody's hand because I'm gay. But, you know, when I fell in love with Mamommy, I knew that she was my soulmate. Do you know what I mean by that?
GA: Yeah.
MS: I'd never felt that way about anyone before. And um, after she had gotten her divorce from grandpa Jim, she was very upfront with your mom. She told your mom that she was in love, and it was with a woman. And that was the first time that anyone was proud to say that they loved me. That made me the happiest I'd ever been in my life. And then, when I got to know your mom and uncle Justin, I knew that I had hit paradise because I now have a family that I can wrap my arms around.
GA: Is there anything that you've never told me that you wanna tell me now?
MS: You know you and I talk about most things. But this is the first time that we've ever talked about the fact that I'm gay and I guess what I wanna ask you is, does it embarrass you to have a gay grandma?
GA: No (MS: No) It doesn't really matter (MS: It doesn't) It just matters my relationship with you.
MS: I always tell you how much I love you, but I don't know that you can really understand the depth of it, because you're someone that I never thought would be in my life and I can't imagine my life without you. And I am so, so proud of you. (GA: Uh huh) Because you have always been a child that makes up her own mind and, I always knew that you were going to grow up to be a woman that we would all be very, very proud of.
GA: Well, um. You're one of my favorite grandmas. You do, like, a lot of things with me like ride rollercoasters and (GA & MS laugh) play poker (GA & MS laugh) I don't know what life would be like without you here.
MS: I love you sweetheart
GA: Love you too.