From JuJu with Love

When I moved back to Michigan after living in Washington, D.C., for ten years, my dad took me to the Varsity Shop in Birmingham.

And he loaded our cart.

He bought me everything University of Michigan that I could possibly need: a blanket to take to football games, cushions to sit on in the stadium, a hat, gloves, a fleece vest—you name it, he bought it.

He made sure I was properly prepared to come home to Michigan.

And when my sister and her family moved to San Diego, my mom and I made sure they took a little Michigan with them.

The kids were just seven, five, and eighteen months old. We bought them all kinds of University of Michigan T-shirts and hats so they would always remember where they were from.

Apparently, in our family, that requires a proper maize-and-blue wardrobe.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving of 2024, when my niece Rachel had just been accepted as a transfer to the University of Michigan.

We were all so excited.

After two years at the University of Wisconsin, there was one small problem.

Rachel looked at me and said, “Juju… I don’t have anything maize and blue.”

Now that simply wouldn’t do.

So we went digging through my closet and found a vintage Michigan sweatshirt from the 1980s, back when I was a student in Ann Arbor. The moment she saw it, she loved it.

And now she wears it.

In this photo, Rachel is wearing that sweatshirt. My nephew Ben and I are wearing the Michigan vs Everybody hats I bought for us—because some traditions deserve to be worn proudly.

And those seat cushions my dad bought me? I still use them. In the photo of Rachel and me at Michigan Stadium, I’m carrying them—something he bought for me all those years ago, still coming along as we make new memories.

I only recently realized how many times we’ve passed along this particular family tradition.

My dad made sure I had everything I needed to cheer for Michigan. My mom and I made sure the kids remembered their Michigan roots, even from California. And decades later, I’m still outfitting the next generation.

Moments like this remind me that traditions don’t just live in the stories we tell. Sometimes they live in old sweatshirts, warm blankets, maize-and-blue hats, and the simple joy of cheering for the same team.

And it’s a tradition that stretches well beyond the state of Michigan.

One year, more than fifteen members of our family gathered in Los Angeles to watch Michigan play USC in the Rose Bowl.

A family reunion, maize-and-blue style.

My uncle Phil and my cousin Brad are both Michigan alums. Brad met his wife Lauren at UM and they live in Los Angeles now, but they take their kids to cheer on the Wolverines when they play UCLA or USC, or when they’re in the Rose Bowl.

My cousin Lee’s kids and grandkids live in Boston, but they all have Michigan attire and the kids know how to say “Go Blue.”

And now, when new babies are born in our family, we buy them Michigan gear as baby gifts.

Because apparently, you’re never too young for your first maize and blue.

L’dor V’dor—from generation to generation.

Go Blue.

From Juju with love 💛💙〽️