Friday, July 17, 2015

Crossing Casco

Life can be magical.
How does one go from being the oldest child in a family to a middle child in one night? Does it happen often? I doubt it. It did to me. About 15 years ago, my youngest sibling gathered the four kids together telling us only that she had some very important information to share. I asked for some hints, but she'd only say that she wanted all of us to hear it at once. What could it be, I thought, an illness? Why did she need all of us assembled together in one room to tell us? I was a bit nervous, and even somewhat confused already before she started her explanation. The story she shared over the next hour and a half was jaw-dropping to say the least. We weren't a 'gang of four' but five. Nine years before I was born, years before Mom had met and married my Dad, she had a baby girl. Her name is Diane. She's also known as Dinnie to those that know her well. She grew up in Portland, lived right along side us almost, but we never knew. Soon after Dad passed in '97, Diane made contact with my Mom's sister, Gloria. As you might imagine, Gloria was confused and even suspicious when Diane made that first call, but after receiving several correspondences with detailed information about our family, including loads of photographs, she was convinced that the information was true. She soon relayed the news to my sister with copies of the letters and photographs. That evening in Marchin's livingroom, when Joanne shared the news, the four of us became five. Diane lives in Florida now. She has three beautiful daughters. I met Dinnie for the first time September 21, 2009, and we have crossed paths on two other occasions. It was a life-changing day for me as you might imagine.
Is it possible to go from oldest to a middle child in a snap of a finger?
I'm living proof.
And I love it!
Magic.

21 comments:

  1. Well congratulations! That IS quite a story.

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  2. You could never get all my siblings together in one place or at least not long enough to tell us anything as momentous as this. :-)

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  3. It never fails to amaze me when stories like this one are revealed. I always hope for a happy ending, and it seems that you and your siblings are now united and what could be happier?!

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  4. so neat that you all welcomed her in. :)

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  5. It's great that the family took the news so well. How wonderful that the secret is out and that you are happy to know the truth.

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  6. What an amazing adventure for you and your family.

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  7. That is quite a tale. I can just imagine the emotions at the beginning of the discovery.

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  8. Easy to agree with you on this!

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  9. Wow, that is a story. I'm amazed at such a thing.

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  10. What a fantastic story! Is your mom still alive? Was she also able to reconnect with her long-lost daughter? Family bonds are strong, even when they are formed later in life. :)

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  11. So when's that book scheduled for?

    So... nice pic too. But you missed L'Hermione in Castine...

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  12. Wonderful to hear that your family was accepting of this news!

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  13. Holy cow! That would be more than jaw-dropping and quite a lot to take in. So glad it was welcome news to your family. Now that my brother's gone I wouldn't mind adding to the sibling count of one (me!).

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  14. Wow! Life is full of surprises!!

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  15. What a great family story. I have heard similar stories near me.

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  16. What a story. And it is a compliment to the original four siblings that all were so accepting of the new member.

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  17. Amazing story. There is something similar to this in my family.

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  18. Amazing story. There is something similar to this in my family.

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  19. Love this! So nice that you can be a family of 5!!!!

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  20. Congratulations - it's never to late to enlarge the family!

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