The Day My Sister Came to Visit...

I suppose, every child deals with issues as they grow, issues of inadequacy, embarrassment...in a way, growing up is supposed to be hard--prepares a person for life and the challenges that will surely come. So, I suppose I never though being adopted constituted any great trial on my part--just part of the deal. It helped immensely being adopted into an incredible family with loving parents, wonderful siblings, and an extended family anyone would be blessed to call their own.

I also suppose as every adopted child grows they wonder. They wonder about what might have been. They wonder about the people directly responsible for their entire existence.

They wonder.

I wondered...I wondered all my life about the family--my family--out there, somewhere, living their lives, paying their bills, celebrating holidays and trying to find happiness in that cruel world they hopefully prepared for as children. After my mother passed away, the wonderings prompted actions. I signed up for Ancestry.com's DNA test. As far as my DNA, I'm basically what my adopted family is--white from Northern Europe.

Then came the day when a new name popped up on the Ancestry site, a person that was closer than first cousin...basically, a sister. There are reality shows, movies, songs written about the experience of finding a blood relative. Those who are not adopted find stories of finding lost family fascinating. Those who are adopted find the shows fascinating, too. But, they watch the shows and they share something others can never fully understand.

Kim--my sister--and I connected shortly after her DNA test results were known. We've kept in touch through shutdowns, pandemics, riots, uncertainty, and all the happenings of what feels like a dystopian existence. And when she said she was coming to Utah with a friend to visit, well...

No need to wonder anymore.

We met on Friday--they stopped in and we visited for a couple of hours. She met me, her sister-in-law, her nephews, and niece. Kim's friend's family was nice enough to invite all of us north this afternoon for a get-together. We had what the Danes call, a "hyggiligt" time. We ate, chatted, swapped stories, and got to know each other better. One thing my kids noticed after our first meeting with Kim was now natural it felt being with her--she is just part of the family. Anyone who knows me knows I take pictures of everything. But today, I didn't. I just wanted to enjoy our time together.

Kim and her friend leave for home tomorrow. I will be forever grateful they came. We only spent a few hours together, but the event changed my life forever. Safe travels Kim. And your big brother thanks you for the visit.