Finally...Meet, My Sister!

Continuing on with the stories in our life,

the stories about things that just don't happen...

Happening.

Ten years ago, my mom came to me and said she had something to tell me.  She proceeded to share with me that somewhere out there I have a sister.  She told me that she became pregnant, a wedding was planned with invitations sent and gifts arriving, and the man she was going to marry backed out and left her to cancel everything and return gifts. My grandparents told her that she/they couldn't afford to keep this baby, so they had my mom take a leave of absence from her work and stay at their house until she had the baby.  No one knew she was pregnant...

When it was time to have the baby, she was taken to the hospital and put out while the baby was taken away, never to look into my mom's eyes...The only reason my mom knew she had a girl was that a nurse mistakenly came in and told her she had a "beautiful baby girl."  My mom was not supposed to know details...

Thirty five years later, (ten years ago), my mom decided we should know.  Someday this daughter may come to look for her and she wanted us to know in case that happened.  When my mom told me, I cried and my heart ached for the secret she carried.  For the pain that few people knew about in her life.  My mom has been through so much, so to hear of this one more thing made me so sad for her...She has come through so many hurts and hardships, so strong and with her head held high.  She is one amazing lady!!  I was overjoyed that she told me, and overjoyed that somewhere out there was another sister, if only we could know who she was.  We didn't have any clues to go on to even find her.  We didn't know her name or anything about her or her parents...until now....

A few months ago, while I was at our church preparing for a potluck, I got a phone call from my mom.  She was obviously shaken, and I knew something big had happened.  Did someone die?  Get in an accident?  I quickly asked her if she was okay.  Her voice shaky, she told me that she was looking online at some adoption websites researching adoption laws that are changing.  While looking around on this website, something caught her attention on the side of her computer screen.  It said, "My name is Rachel L---.  I was born on March -, 19-- at Seattle hospital by Dr. ---."  Immediately my mom knew that this was her daughter.  The few details given were exactly the details she needed to know.  This was her!  The daughter she never got to meet!!  Random, on the screen.  Before her own eyes were the words my mom had hoped one day to hear...The words that identified the daughter she had to let go of...

My mom wrote back on the forum.  Then she waited.  You see, Rachel posted on that forum in 2006.  This was/is 2012.  Maybe she gave up after she wrote that so many years ago and no one ever responded.  What if she never goes back and reads this post from my mom?  And she waited.  At six weeks, she was surprised by an email from Rachel!!  Amazingly we found out later, Rachel only has internet on her phone and just happened to be checking old emails for another reason when she came across this email that my mom had sent SIX weeks prior!  They quickly sent more emails to each other, then talked on the phone.  There was no doubt.  Some of the details that Rachel's parents were given, that they then passed on to Rachel, were all we needed.  Down to a distinct birthmark my mom has!!  Unbelievable!  They hit it off on the phone, both being very open, loving and thankful to have found each other.  Then I talked to Rachel on the phone and was surprised how alike we seemed, having never met...

One month later, Rachel flew out here from Texas to stay with my mom for almost a week.  We enjoyed much time talking, sharing stories, looking through photos and even going through my grandma's hope chest.  What a blessed time it was!  We laughed, and we laughed.  We just hit it off.  My SISTER!!!  Wow.   We even have the same dimple below our eye!!  It was especially fun for Rachel to see blood relatives, meet nieces and nephews she didn't know she had, and learn history and see similarities through pictures.  The kids adored her and called her Aunt Rachel right off the bat. Overwhelming.  Amazing.  Life changing.  She and her family have hoped for this for years...and it has come true!  My mom has longed and ached for her daughter, wondering if she was okay, what she looked like, where she lived...Now she knows!  

It is amazing how this story worked out.  One person's hardship was another's blessing.  I am so thankful that Rachel's parents got her, to raise and love.  Rachel is so thankful for her upbringing and for her loving parents.  I am so glad they had each other.  Rachel grew up in a loving home an only child, just like my mom!  She was adopted, just like my mom's mom!!  Who was also an only child!!  She and my mom have many parallels and it was such a blessing to watch them connect and relate to each other... Rachel has three beautiful children, ages 20, 18 and 6.  I can't wait to meet my niece and nephews I didn't know I had.   Rachel's mom, children, fiance and friends are all SO supportive and loving toward all of us.  They were able to walk the road with us while Rachel was here through a private Facebook page where we posted pictures daily of our time together.  Our family is also so supportive, involved and will hopefully all get to meet Rachel one day soon.  When Rachel's mom saw the pictures of my brother, she thought they could have been twins!!  It will be so fun when they meet face to face!  

So there you have it.  Just when you think the impossible will never happen...out of nowhere, your life changes and you feel an ache subside.  An emptiness filled.  You find your roots and you feel new again!

We love you Rachel, and all of your family!!  What a blessing to have found you...

Rachel, Helen and Tara

My mom at the airport,
waiting to meet Rachel.

First moments together

Sisters meeting for the first time.

Aunt Rachel with the kids

Rachel at our house