As
many of you already know, I had been searching for my birth half-sister
for many years. I had joined every adoption registry I could find, I signed
up for the Nova Scotia Registry, I sent letters, faxes, emails, you name
it I did it.
Finally
I decided to make my own web page. Basically I was hoping that maybe she
would visit it or that someone who knew her would see it and let me know
something, anything.
I had so
much help from many members from Canadopt. Especially Pat and Marlinna!(Marlinna,
by the way, has a terrific site.)
I would
also like to mention that John Niswonger from the Volunteer Search Network
contributed a lot of time to helping me.
He graciously
offered to make phone calls from a list of numbers I had compiled of possible
matches.
The first
number he called turned out to be my sister.
And that's
where my search ended and the anticipation and excitement started.
This all
happened September 29, 1998.
The message I got from John said "I Found Her!!!!!" . That's it. He contacted
me a while later saying that he had given her my email address and web
page address.
So, I waited,
and waited. Then I got an email from her. I cannot explain the emotions
that went through me as I read it. It was incredible!!
But, she
said she wasn't sure if she wanted contact at that time, She wanted to
tell her parents before she would tell me anything about herself.
I understood
and didn't expect to hear from her for a while. But the next day and pretty
much everyday thereafter she sent me email letting me in to her life
bit by bit.
Her husband
even sent me an email . He was so excited for her.
We sent
emails back and forth and chatted online everyday. We seemed to get along
right away. I felt as if I had known her all my life.
On October 22,1998
(the day before her birthday) I boarded my flight to Ohio. I was on my
way to meet my sister, Judy!!
Judy and
her husband Mike met me at the airport. Mike had the video camera rolling
as I entered the waiting area.
Judy gave
me a big hug and it took every ounce of strength in me not to start crying.
It truly
was the day that piece of my life I had been missing had been given to
me.
I stayed
with Judy, Mike and their three children, Adam who is the oldest, Christine
(Judy named her Christine Marie, the name my mother gave her at birth),
and Anna the new addition in their lives.
We looked
at pictures and slides of her growing up, we went to a hayride and bonfire,
I got to meet her family, all of whom treated me like I was part of their
family.
I truly
felt welcome and like I belonged there. We found out we had so much in
common. You could definitely tell we were from the same gene pool!!
I stayed
there for five days and I wish I could have stayed longer. I really miss
her.
The best
part of my trip was being able to spend her birthday with her, for the
very first time.
I will
be seeing her at the end of December as she is going to be my "sister-of-honor"
at my wedding in LasVegas. I could never have hoped for anything better
than Judy being at my wedding.
She, Mike
and the kids are also planning to come here to Vancouver in the summer
to visit.
I now
have a big sister!!
