Saturday, November 19, 2016

The Baby Part Five


This is the one where I find my sister!

If you haven't read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4, you might want to click on each of the links above and start at the beginning.

I had started searching for my sister with no expectations.  I didn't feel any stress about the process until we started to get results.  Once I saw her birth record, she was real to me, not just an abstract idea.  

Sunday afternoon I got a phone call from Judy, a "search angel"  volunteer for the Find My Family Adoption Registry.  She  asked if I would like her to help search.  "At no cost to you," she said.  I gratefully accepted her offer of assistance.

That evening my blogging friends, the Vashonistas, and I watched the second presidential debate.  The next morning we had one final writing session and then it was time to say goodbye.  I had a ferry ride and a five hour drive ahead of me.  I stopped at the local Vashon supermarket to load up on snacks for the journey. 




This is where I was standing when my phone rang and Judy, the search angel, said "I found your sister.  I've talked to her.  I need your permission to share your contact information with her."  

The tears started rolling down my face.  "Her name is Stacey.  She knew she was adopted and she would like to contact you."  I don't remember a lot of the conversation, but I must have gotten some strange looks from other shoppers as I paced back and forth in front of the candy display, tears flowing freely, saying "Oh my God, Oh my God. I can't believe it!"

I sat for awhile in the parking lot absorbing the knowledge that my sister had been found.  Her name is Stacey.  I called my dad and told him.  I don't know why he was my first call because he's not related to her, but he had made the search possible by sharing information...long held secrets, with me.  I texted my brothers. My youngest brother, Ross, replied "I think you have the wrong number,"  and then "What sister?"  I had forgotten he didn't know anything about "the baby."

I had told Judy, the search angel, that I was driving home for the next five hours and I wouldn't be able to text so I would contact Stacey when I got home.  I was sitting in my car on the ferry to Seattle when I got a Facebook friend request from Stacey.  I accepted and immediately started crying again.  I stalked her Facebook page...and then she messaged me.



Stacey:
No rush, since you are driving.My home phone is

Me:
So relieved you're a Hillary supporter. I had a thought, "what if she's one of the deplorable?" That would have been hard!
Stacey:
OMG, JUST had the EXACT same thought about you minutes ago


Not texting while driving, still on the ferry!
Stacey:
Thank you for finding me 🙂

...and I cried some more.  It was a slow drive home.  I stopped at every rest area between Seattle and Hermiston to read and respond to her texts. 

I have a sister and her name is Stacey.

14 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. The story is still unfolding. I have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving!

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Yeah, it's a pretty good story and the Vashonista stories of adoption helped me see the possibilities. Thanks for being there with me for the ride!

      Delete
  3. Oh, how I'd have chuckled if she had been a religious right! I'm happy for you, Jann. Next installment after face to face?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ginger, i could have live with the religious part, but a Trump supporter would have been much harder! On the other hand, she wouldn't have been the first in my family!

      Delete
  4. I just found this series and have read all parts together. I can't wait for more Can't wait!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you found me! Tomorrow I'm publishing the last "Baby." I'll probably do an update after Thanksgiving, but it's not just my search story anymore, it's my family's, so I have to temper my writing to protect their privacy. Mine, not so much!

      Delete
  5. And me, who knew the whole story, is sitting here with tears welling up in my eyes. Such a wonderful story, and the rest I don't know but look forward to learning about. Love you, fellow Axe Murderer! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wonderful story. So glad she wasn't a Trump supporter. my sister is. It's hard to talk to her right now.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a wonderful journey you are on ... one with many more discoveries no doubt.

    ReplyDelete
  8. We alll need to read a good story about good people now. Thank you for giving us that.

    I am trying to get over having a trump supporter in my family. The good thing is that he lives many states away and we don't have daily conversations. However, he is a good man, just totally wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I already know the story, but can hardly type cause I can't see through my tears. Love you, Jann!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ok, I am sobbing! Absolutely sobbing. I think is so cool that you found your sister while you were on Vashon. This is the greatest story to come out of our Vashonistas ever. Truly, Jann. This is amazing.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts with Thumbnails