...OUR REUNION

On Monday, October 13, 1997 at 12:44 PM Eastern Standard Time I received the call we had waited for. I knew who it was even before the operator could ask if I would accept this collect call, I was so very nervous. Good thing for cordless phones, as I began to pace. It was Bret, now named Barry that called. He telephoned from work. I asked him if he was adopted and he said yes. Then I told him we had been searching for him and his sister and wondered if he knew he had older siblings. No, he did not remember, I am smiling as I am typing this, as it was a very exciting moment. Barry was also excited about this news. We talked for a few minutes and then he had to get back to work. A few minutes later Kim called. (Barry had called his parents and his sister, immediately after he hung up from me.) Their parents were very happy for them. We began to talk by telephone almost daily that first week, and started planning for the reunion almost immediately.

Barry and Kim, flew here for the reunion, as did the younger siblings, Kathy and John. We made sure to contact the Television Stations. Channel 8 came to the airport. Talk about emotions running high! It was hard holding those emotion's in while waiting impatiently for the plane. There was one lady that asked what was going on, when we told her, she had tears well up in her eyes, she said that was so neat!! Well guess what? That was all we needed, the emotions spilled out, and most of us prematurely lost it. Wow, just writing this brings the tears, it was such a special moment.

We rented a Limousine for the ride to our home from the airport. It was exciting. My husband and his brother were so much alike in looks and in their joking, goofy behavior, it was very difficult to imagine how they were like that without growing up together. The first night we had a pajama party. As you can see from the picture, we had matching cartoon PJ's. That night was a riot!! We got it all on tape. Actually, we taped almost everything., and made copies for everyone. We took a lunch cruise and had channel 2 news come down and interview all of us. It was a leading story for the 5:00 news. "Siblings Reunited after 35 years". It was also a good time to make a pitch about the signature drive for the Petition to open records here in Oregon.

Well it was a great week, but when you are having so much fun, the time goes real fast. Before we knew it, it was time for them to go home. It was very difficult for them to leave. There were many tears shed because we did not know when we would see them again. They lived in Georgia, we lived in Oregon. I will tell you this, our phone bill became our major bill for several months. We had to search to find the best rate among the long distance companies, something we never cared about till then. We left the airport, about 30 minutes later we got a call on our cell phone, it was Barry and Kim. They were calling from the plane, they were having a hard time of it. I think those calls from the plane are like 6.00 a minute! Any way, he was trying to joke around a bit, and he said they decided to stay, and had got off the plane. He nearly had us heading back to the airport.

We still talk often, but the calls are shorter and not as often. When we first found them, there was alot of 3 way calling, sometimes lasting 5 and 6 hours at a time. And sometimes daily. Like I said "Major bill" here.

They are talking of moving here soon, we love the idea. I may have to share my husband more often, but if you ever saw them together, it is like they were never apart.

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