It’s always strange to come back 7 months later and read my last post….I just think, “wow, so much has changed.” My birthday is in May, and this one was a minor milestone (45). Not a big one, but big enough when I think about how we celebrated the year before (not really at all since we were in lock-down). My husband, K, decided to invite my “new” sister, B, and her family out to the west coast to celebrate. Just the idea that he knew what it would mean to me to meet in person meant so much to me. I felt seen and understood. But then to hear how excited she (and her entire family) was to come out, it just felt so special.
I could write for pages about the amazing time we all had and the fun things we did, but at the heart of it was the connection. From the time she pulled up and got out of the rental car, we hugged and just cried. Our families all got along so well, we couldn’t believe it. My daughters said it felt like they had known their cousins forever. In the evenings while the kids were all hanging out, my husband and I and B and her husband (also B) would just sit at the table and talk. We talked about silly things, but we also had deep, meaningful conversations that I can’t remember having with other family members. I think we all felt a connection that was hard to describe – almost like our cells recognized each other. I always thought that came from growing up with family, but I now think that it is something else. It was very special.
She did tell C (our dad) that she was coming out to see me and while he wasn’t overly supportive, he did offer them a ride to the airport. Maybe not the step we had hoped for, but something. I also learned about our siblings and found out that they did finally know about me, but I think that’s a post for another day. I want to leave this one on the high note that it was.