I had a wonderful experience this year. To start with, I’ve had a first cousin, 11 years older than myself, who I have never met. She left home at 18, and married at 20, leaving NYS, where both of us had lived. When I finally located her last address, I discovered that she had died. I knew nothing about her life.
This year, my niece took one of those saliva tests to find out about her ancestry. As a result, she heard from a man in California, who said that he believed that he was related to her. Well, that man turned out to be my cousin’s oldest child- the oldest of 5. His name is Art, and he and I have become fast e-mail friends. We have exchanged dozens of photos, as well as info. We’ve learned so much about our backgrounds- going back to great grandparents. The photos that I have received are treasures for me, and he feels the same. I am so glad that both of us saved those pictures. I am 84, and trying to empty my house. Art is 74. I have no children. I feel that I have found family. Something I need at this time.
Dorothy, Thank you for sharing that wonderful story about finding family at this stage. It’s so rewarding to have saved photos, stories, experiences and share them with family many decades later. Thanks, too, for launching this dialogue.
I, too, am having similar experiences. Through 23 & Me we connected with an arm of family who went to South Africa after WWII. Their adult children are now in South Africa, Australia & Europe. Within months, we’ve become universal and it has opened a new world of What’s App phone calls, Zoom gatherings, common interests, new beginnings. Interestingly, most of my 1st cousins are in our 70;s and 80’s and the genuine interest to join these conversations and ask wonderful questions is coming from the teens, college students and millennials. Intergenerational dialogue is such a gift. Even if they aren’t our own families, programs such as Sages and Seekers can fill that void and one key learning is “we are more similar than different and there is so much to learn and teach each other.
These exchanges are deep, meaningful and rich. Thelma, as our Chief Chick, Thank you for starting Elder Chicks and let’s all keep it going.
Heartwarming!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience
This is so wonderful, Dorothy. I always feel grateful for Henry Louis Gates Jr. (whom I met briefly about 35 years ago). His “Finding Your Roots” launched the attention to the importance and means of doing just that. Much love to you and to Art, who also understands the meaning of being connected.