Long lost relative always seemed like a concept that only happens in the movies. You know, soap opera junk where you magically wake up one day to a knock on the door from a twin separated at birth and sent to live half way across the world. Alright, so today's story isn't so dramatic but I was surprised just as much.
Not to give away to much family information, essentially one of my aunts has a daughter that was kept fairly hush hush in the family. Of course that means in the family that practically everyone knew but no one let my aunt know that everyone knew. Then again, no one ever bothered to tell me. I found out less than a year ago, but was not given a name or any information.
Apparently she had been searching adoption, school, and town records to find my aunt. I think back in 1990 was the first time she came around (unknown to the rest of the family) when my grandmother was still alive. My grandmother was one tough cookie and did not give the most joyous welcoming to her. I don't know why, like I said she is no longer with us and I was sheltered from the family closet of information until recently. No one thought she would be very anxious to come back and see the rest of us, but she got up the nerve and decided to let my aunt know when she had to come to town for business.
So we met her today. She is wonderfully nice and got to hear all of the long stories from their childhood. It is weird though. I'm an only child on that side of the family. No cousins, until now. She is so much older than I am though so I have a hard time seeing her as a cousin. I'm the oldest child on the other side of my family too so to have someone an entire generation older than me.
I can't imagine how my aunt really feels about all this. Too give up a daughter when she was so young and now have her back 40 something years later. My new cousin hasn't told her adoptive mother about finding my aunt. She lost her father a few years ago and I think she is worried her mother might feel abandoned. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be adopted.
I'm still holding out for my long lost twin.
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