Oh, Brothers Where Art Thou ...
I grew up in New England with one sibling, a year younger than me. My mother died in a boating accident in 1974 (age 40) and my Dad died of cancer at age 56. My sister and I haven't been very close - we live 500 miles apart from each other and never seem to keep the family connection strong. So when she made an impromptu visit earlier this month, I shared my panic feelings with you. I basically am intimidated in her presence.
My sister arrived and I assumed she came to see me and check out how my recovery was going. She was enthusiastic about my progress (however, she hadn't seen me since the stroke, so I am not sure to what she was comparing her judgement).
Now comes the real kicker ... the true motivation for my sister's visit was to inform me that we had 2 half-brothers that neither of us had ever heard of before. These boys were from 2 relationships my Mom apparently had before meeting and marrying our Dad. The brothers are 3 and 5 years older than me. The saddest news was that the younger of the two had started the search upon the death of his adoptive family. He had located the older brother, talked on the phone several times. The 2 men were planning to meet the first week of January. However, the younger brother died of a heart attack on December 26, 2005. My sister received this news in a letter around the beginning of January, but she waited a month to tell me in person, because she didn't want to cause me any stress or pain.
How do I feel now knowing that my family has suddenly grown with 2 half-brothers (one deceased),
2 sisters-in-law, and 6 nieces and nephews? I am so happy that they were able to find us.
However, I am saddened that my mom was not able to keep us all as a family. And it is also a shame that she hid her secret from everyone. I would like to think had she lived longer she would have confided in my sister and me.
It is so amazing how just one letter can impact a life.
Debbie
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