Reunion

About 5 years ago I blogged about a stranger, a woman who made a huge impact in my life - my sister's birth mother.

A few weeks ago my sister confided in me that she was looking for her and was pretty sure she'd found her. I was thrilled for her. It's something she's grappled at for years. She's been angry, she's been sad, she's been frustrated, she's been ambivalent... and at the center of all that. She's been hurt.

I don't blame her. That's a lot to digest.

Her adoption was never a secret in our home. My mother would often say that J was a gift. That she didn't grow in her tummy, but in her heart - where it mattered most. My parents applied for adoption at the beginning of 1978 and 9 months later, they got a call that a baby girl with dark hair and chubby cheeks was ready to come home. They set her in a wrapped box under the tree that Christmas.

This might be why "blood" means nothing to me.
J is my sister. She's the only thing I've known. She's mine and I'm hers.

We had each other's back during our childhood.
And still today. And always.

So today, as I wade through my feelings (there are many), I find myself genuinely excited for this new relationship she is forming. I am very aware that my little family world could and will change, but I am not scared. God works ALL things for the good of those who love Him and I know He's got this journey and I know He loves me and my family.

J's birth mom did one of the most selfless things imaginable. Her heartache 37 years ago is nothing I could ever understand. I am forever thankful to her and I love her heart.