Found Family

Leo is my mom's brother.  They had some contact over twenty years ago.  Mom had contacted her birth father.  There were plans for Sr. to come out to CA for some reason and when that happened Mom was going to meet him.  I'm sure that was a plan filled with lots of emotions. 
My mom had wondered about the man basically all her life.  Her mom had went to her death keeping the secret of who he was.  I do not know why, just that it was.  The other people, who also knew who he was, kept that secret for a long long time after Granny died.  And then Uncle John finally told her. 
At least she did have some contact.  I doubt all her questions would have been able to be answered.  She had contact with his other children, a son and a daughter.  I'm not sure how much joy that brought as I doubt they had any inkling about her.  But it is what it is and life moves on.  Leo Sr. died.  And with that the connections. 

I met my half sister when I was sixteen.  I was told about her when I was 13 years-old.  She had initiated contact with our dad.  My mom kind of pushed my dad to accept that contact.  He may have anyway, but Mom came from the place my sister was at.  Meeting a sibling like that is filled with a lot of emotions. 
We met and started building relationships.  Almost a decade in my dad died.  And that initial link wasn't totally severed but it was definitely stretched thin.  Today we are good, but we had to find the place that we could build from.  Dad couldn't be the glue if he wasn't there. 
I do find it ironic how similar the stories are though. 

When I moved into Mom's house and started the cleaning process I found a letter Jr. had wrote to Mom.  And of course, now I have no clue where it is.  But it was a reminder of the connection.  And so I went on a search and found him on facebook.  Mom was sad I didn't actually make a connection right away.  And now she has long forgotten that I tried.  Looking forward to telling her about it and I hope it makes her smile.  Life does move on and life throws curve balls.  Maybe this is a good one.