Friends

21 September 2014

FAMILY MATTERS!


Let me tell you about my lost family … or part of it, and it was all down to my son’s broken marriage. When Jon was in the army he met and married a German girl. Sadly, the marriage didn’t work so his wife moved back to Germany with their two very young sons. After a few years she came back to this country and went to live in Scotland, which is the other end of the country to where we are in the Midlands. Jon was able to see the boys periodically but I only saw them on one occasion. The youngest would have been about eight at the time and his brother two years older.

When they were still in their teens, after a period of uncertainty and some unhappy changes in their family structure, the boys left home and were ‘lost’ to their father and me, their grandmother. However, the good news is that they have been found on Facebook. As many of you know Facebook has for some time been on my ‘don’t touch’ list but with the knowledge that the boys were on it meant I had to go there too. There they were, grown up and looking fabulous. I also discovered that I am great-grandmother to a baby boy … quite suddenly I felt not just old, but positively ancient! Just waiting for someone to say I don't look it!

The 'find' was due to Jon’s partner, Karen, and I can’t thank her enough for her endeavours to trace the boys. Jon doesn’t walk well nowadays nor can he do long distance driving but that was okay, grandson would come to us. Two weeks ago it was when my youngest grandson, Keith, and his Swedish partner, Sara, came to the Midlands. And Joe and I got to see them.

It was about twenty years since last we met but Keith walked in to my house as if he’d been coming there all the time… and gave me a HUGE bear hug. I felt very emotional and happy. Actually his memory is good, he remembered the house, and especially the garden. That made me feel good.

Joe and I had a whole day with them all. We took them to our usual eating place for lunch, which was a great place to get to know each other. It was lovely.
Top left: Keith and Sara
Top right: Keith and Jon
Bottom left: Keith
Bottom right: Jon

Keith is handsome, friendly, intelligent, fun, and the image of his dad when Jon was his age. 

Sara is a delight. As you can see she is a pretty girl, with the sort of good looks you want to keep staring at. She is petite and graceful and very friendly… and what’s more she speaks perfect English. She and I are now in regular contact by email. 

There were none of those awkward moments that occur when people haven’t met for a long time, it was as if we had always been together. I am really hoping that we can all meet up again and become a proper family unit even if there ARE many miles between us.

That’s not all. Imagine my surprise when I arrived home from a meeting to find a box of flowers in the porch… delivered and obviously not heard. Yes, they were from Keith and Sara, and they're still good today. 

Since hearing a little bird whisper that Keith and Sara might be here for Christmas I am living in hope with fingers firmly crossed!

15 comments:

  1. What absolutely wonderful news Valerie. Broken families are tricky business. My son has four brothers from his father's first marriage who he hasn't seen in 16 years. Now that he has turned 18, I don't know whether to suggest he connect with them on Facebook or just leave it up to the boys to find each other again. So happy for you!

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  2. Carol, Facebook is a start. I would advise that they go for it. Nothing ventured and all that...

    I'm going to try once more to visit your blog to see if you are still 'closed'

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  3. Very happy for you all. I hope Christmas will happen as you imagined it for you guys.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  4. "but Keith walked in to my house as if he’d been coming there all the time… and gave me a HUGE bear hug. I felt very emotional and happy."

    Valerie, I got emotional just reading that.

    And can I tell you how HAPPY I am for you? I am so glad you got the opportunity to meet up with your family members again. Yahoo!

    About a year and half ago, I was able to reconnect with one of siblings son and his wife. They found me through my blog while Googling my last name. How about that?

    Lovely photographs! And yes, Sara is very pretty and looks sweet.

    I bet you can't wait to meet up again on Christmas. And just think, it will be here before you know it.

    Thanks for sharing. This post put a big smile on my face.

    Have a super Sunday.

    X to you and Joe!

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  5. Oh Valerie, i am so happy for you. How wonderful to find lost family. I have been on Facebook for a while and mainly comment and look for folks. Your find is a wonderful example of how Facebook works for good. I am now in touch with my Cousin's Son and thru that I have found her other sons. It is a delight as is your story.

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  6. Well, Valerie, this story really choked me up. I am so happy for you to be reunited with your grandsons after all this time. They are handsome young men and Sara is a beautiful young lady. Thank you for sharing this lovely post today. I'm not a Facebook fan either but I've thought about it again because it does keep people in touch. Have a wonderful weekend my friend :)

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  7. You don't look it. :-)

    What a great story! You must be over the moon.

    Greetings from London.

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  8. What a wonderful story, I am so pleased you are in contact with your grandsons after all these years. I am not on FB any more after my account was hacked, but it shows it does have it's good side. 22 months ago I found out I was actually adopted. This turned my world upside down to say the least, and I am not a young girl either I have a bus pass! And this all came about through a company contacting me asking if I would act on behalf of a late uncle who had not left a will! So I may well have more family somewhere! Good luck Valerie and I hope you all get together at christmas.

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  9. Ron, it's brilliant that you, too, were found. Isn't it a marvellous feeling? Yes, I am looking forward to Christmas.... even if the grandson can't make it, Rosanne will be here - all the way from Oz.

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  10. Mersad, thank you.

    BC, it's lovely to hear something good about Facebook.

    Denise, grandson is really. handsome, the other pic of a single man was his dad at around the same age. There is a lot of good about Facebook but there is also a lot of rubbish put on there. It's the latter that put me off in the first place.

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  11. Cuban... LOL and thanks for the compliment. Yes, over the moon how I felt on the day we met.

    Hello Ann. I can imagine the upheaval in your mind when you discovered your history so late in life. I hope everything is good for you now.

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  12. Valerie, that's wonderful! I hope Christmas happens for all of you! I'm still smiling.

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  13. *SMILING*
    OH, you can imagine how HAPPY I am for you!! You know some of Ron's story, so I completely understand all of the emotion, how you just come together and pick right up where you left off.
    Of course, FB'ers have a love/hate relationship with the site. I use it and have found it a wonderful way to keep in touch with family, old friends, etc. There's silliness and drama in the feeds, too, but worth it to me for the good connections.
    !

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  14. Hi Mary, I am connecting with Facebook a lot more now although with only a small amount of enthusiasm. I save my energies for the family but that's about all. You're right about the silliness in the feeds.

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  15. Awww...you don't look like a great-grandmother AT ALL. Seriously! And what a gift to be reunited after all that. Amazing what kids tuck away in their memory, huh? :-)
    I'm really glad for all of you. I think they're equally blessed to have both of you available, period. How awesome they got another chance to connect with their grandparents....and they said YES. I like 'em already!

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