I’ve been wanting to write about the trip to visit my grandmother since we got back, but life has gotten in the way; all of it really good. We’ve been picking out carpet for the new house, getting rid of things in the old house, and making plans for all of the fun things we plan to do after we move. The biggest news this week is that we signed our closing documents on Thursday and should have the keys in our hot little hands on Tuesday.

In addition to the fun stuff, we’ve experienced WIND STORM 06 in my little town, making the electricity go in and out and internet completely out. Does Mother Nature not understand that I get a little woozy when I’m without Internet connection for extended periods of time? I can’t even use my cell phone here to connect because I do not get reception here (but will have lovely reception at the new house!) I’m writing this post with no internet connection, intending to upload it once I get connectivity.

So, on to the purpose of this post.

The trip to visit my family was everything that I could have imagined. It’s hard to believe that a year ago I didn’t know these people, yet now they are family. In addition to the purpose of the trip, it was so nice to spend so much time with my sons. I enjoy their personalities so much and wish I could see them more often. They couldn’t be any more different, yet they both have the same gentle spirit underneath their distinguishable personality traits. This mama couldn’t be more proud of her sons and I was so excited to introduce them to this family that I’ve come to love.

As pulled up to my grandmother’s house I was almost overwhelmed with emotion because of what was about to happen. I was the first to walk in the door and immediately hugged and kissed my grandmother and then my aunt. Then the moment came where I was able to introduce my sons. I briefly looked at my oldest son and saw tears in his eyes, which told me that he too saw this for the monumental event that it was. It was hard to not become extremely emotional after witnessing this, but I put my Hospice skills at work and maintained my composure. Well, mostly anyway...

We brought our wedding video to share and I also remembered to bring the wedding album between my birth father and mother. My grandmother and aunt poured over every page, sharing their memories of the event as they turned the pages.

My aunt left the room briefly and came back with a gift for me from my grandmother. She gave me her wool scarf made from the family Tartan. My composure skills went down the drain at that point. Later, my aunt gave me something of my father’s. It was very surreal to hold something in my hands that belonged to my father. It’s strange, but he becomes more real to me with every picture and every story- and now I have something that belonged to him.

Later that evening the rest of the family met us at a restaurant to celebrate my grandmother’s 93rd birthday. Everyone was making comparisons of the boys to my father; in both personality and physical traits. I’m sure they were analyzing my sons just as much as my sons were analyzing them. As for me, I was just enjoying watching my sons find the same familiarity that I had found with this family. There was so much laughter at that table. They truly are like us.

The boys both have since told me that it feels as if we’ve always been a part of that family. I know I feel that way and I suspect we’re not alone in thinking this.

On the way home, I had a few moments alone with my oldest son. He told me how strange it was to see his physical traits on these people who, up until now, have been strangers. I told him that it was so cool for me to have someone who now completely relates to everything that I’ve been feeling. My sister relates to some parts of this because she recently met her birth mother, but she didn’t have the same “I look and act JUST like these people” experience that I have had. BJ relates to none of this, but that doesn’t make him any less supportive and enthusiastic about all of it. Now there are two people in this world, who happen to be my sons, that completely ‘get’ what I’m feeling. I don’t know why that’s so important to me, but for it to be my sons makes it even better.

I believe that this whole experience gives my sons and me just a bit more of a bond than we already had. We’ve been able to share something that most people in this world could never imagine experiencing. I’d like to think that this experience gives them something else to add to their ability to understand the big picture of life, and how everything happens as it should.

This certainly will be a story that they will share many times, just as I have. And, like me, they’re hoping to add more stories as we continue to visit and get to know our ‘new’ family.