It has been 3 months since I reconnected with my father, and my half-brother has now had a little over a month to get used to the notion of having me as a big sister. Whenever people ask me how it is all going, I am just beaming with joy as I share the latest updates. The best part is knowing that there is this whole network of people that actually care about me, and want to share their stories with me and hear how things are going here in DC.
I sent my brother a care package the other day with some silly things; I created a mini wedding album for my aunt, who seemed sad that she’d missed that day in my life; and I just recreated a baby album covering my son’s first 7 years for Father’s Day. None of them expected any of these gifts, and that is what I appreciate the most about them all– they do not expect anything from me, but simply because I am family, they love me, and I whole-heartedly reciprocate the sentiment.
As all this is settling in, my son asked me to explain “inner peace” after he heard the term while watching Kung Fu Panda. He actually picked the best time to ask that question, and without hesitation I said, “inner peace is hard to find, but it is when you can let go of all your anger/disappointment and just enjoy a heart full of love.” He asked me if I have found inner peace, and I honestly told him that it took me 38 years to find it, but by discovering my family, I have finally been able to let go of all the past disappointments and enjoy the discovery of unconditional love. The journey was certainly long and difficult, but to hear my dad say, “I love you” after all these years, is truly priceless.
