Surprise Reunion - An Email Changed my Life


Suite writers occasionally participate in what's called an event. We write stories for different topics, as seen under "Community Events" on the menu to your left. Sometimes they tie into a topic and sometimes they don't. This is sort of about Washington State, but more about my life here in this great state.

May 30, 1998, was just a normal day for me - not unlike other days. As a writer I spend some hours each day writing, so I was at my computer when the message titled "Surprise Reunion" showed up on my computer. It was written the evening of the 29th.

"What could it be?" I thought as I clicked open my email and got the surprise of my life. I wasn't aware of any planned family reunion.

My cousin's ex-wife sent me an email. Hmmm. That in itself was a surprise, because she didn't keep track of our immediate family since their divorce. I was happy to hear from her.

I opened the email.

It started with, "Jerri. Mom just called to tell me she talked to a lady by the name of T. H. who is waiting to get in touch with you and T. (my brother) and says she is your half-sister. Do you know about her?

Anyway, she's not sure if it's okay for her to contact you because she doesn't know you...whatever...so I told Mom to give her my phone number and to call me figuring I could get info and let you know and you could decide if you wanted to talk to her or go to the reunion she's having."

Whoa! A sister? I already have two. My heart was heavy and beating faster. This email really opened a door for my brother and me. I wondered if it was a Pandora's Box for me, however. I was not as interested in knowing about this part of my life as my brother - too much hurt. Emotions flew through my head.

Our Mom was divorced when we were very small and she refused to talk about our birth Dad. What's even more interesting: he and his new family, including this sister, lived in a town, Sequim, only 18 miles from where I was raised, Port Angeles.

I immediately called my cousin's ex-wife (an old high school friend) and talked, then got on the phone and called my brother. Email was the catalyst, but the phone was faster. We discussed it and I told him I'd call our new sister and get back to him. We were both stunned.

The copyright of the article Surprise Reunion - An Email Changed my Life in Washington State is owned by Jerri Brooker. Permission to republish Surprise Reunion - An Email Changed my Life in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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