It's a long story, but in a nutshell, in case you have forgotten, my three children were adopted at birth in 1962, 1963 and 1967. Joe's biological mom found him when he was in his early 20s and I had the pleasure of meeting her in L.A. sometime later. She died, but finding Joe brought her great peace.
Christy, my daughter, located both her biological parents when she was in her early 20s. She exchanged information with them and did stay in touch with her mom. About three years ago I got a phone call from a young woman in Georgia who identified herself as Christy's half-sister Lisa and she asked to be put in touch. When her mother was packing up to move, Lisa tripped across a letter from Christy to her dad that she wrote when she first located him. Though Lisa's mom knew about Christy, none of the children had been told she existed. Lisa and her three siblings share a biological father with Christy and the story just continues to unfold. There is a book here somewhere, I think. At this time the other siblings have no desire to meet Christy, although she has spoken with one of them on the phone. I imagine this will happen if and when it seems right.
My Christy is on the left and Lisa is on the right. We looked at lots of photos of their dad on the Internet last night and Christy has a strong resemblance to her birth family. Can you see the resemblance between the sisters?
Lisa and her two boys arrived today for a three day visit from Atlanta, GA and they are staying at my house--and so is Christy. They will go to Knotts Berry Farm today and have other touristy things planned.
Nathan and Tyler at the beach by the Redondo Beach Pier near sunset.
We sat for a while last night trying to put all the pieces together from what I know from the adoption agency and Christy's growing up years and what Lisa knows from her mother's report.
All I know is that the twists and turns of life are absolutely amazing and I am so deeply grateful that Christy and Lisa have found each other. I can't imagine my life without Christy in it so the choices her birth parents made 47 years ago, which were hard I'm sure, made such a difference in my husband's and my life. I'm still trying to digest all this, but on some level I feel like I've gained another daughter.
In the Ira Progoff National Intensive Journal work there is a section called Intersections where you have the opportunity to explore paths taken and not taken. What a perfect way to explore the story of Christy's birth and life--and my own.
