How about the long lost relatives we meet on line? One of my favorite aunts, who is close to my age, met me on line. You see, after my nephew died at age 17 (he was her great nephew) this aunt of mine (who lives in FL) was sent the obituary from another aunt (in law) who I did not even know who lives in PA (where my nephew died). I, of course, live in CO. When the aunt in FL received the obiturary from PA, she saw my first name and married name as a surviving relative to my deceased nephew. Actually, she since told me that it took her a few seconds to even think or hope that it was me. Over the years I have legally changed my first and last name and moved to 8 states. But in her heart, this aunt KNEW it had to be the niece she had loved but had not seen since 1971. I was 16 at the time, she was 19, and her husband had just been sent to Vietnam. My father, her brother, had just committed suicide. The dysfunctions of our shared family just tore us apart, forever. Little did I know that this favorite aunt of mine who was like an older sister to me, had been looking for me all these years. But I was deliberately hiding from that side of the family, as it had literally ruined me. Anyway, we go from 1971 to 2006, and she sees my name in an obituary from another state! She googled my name, and lo and behold, she sees me her niece and that I'd written a book about same dysfunctional family. When I got back from the funeral, I had 105 emails from various people who found me via the obit. Some I wanted nothing to do with because their life-styles, values, and morals are not aligned with mine, nor do they respect boundaries. Same old story of same old family. However, this aunt, close to my age, who used to call me her little sister, the princess, found me ON LINE at BWS. You see, during the google search she found a post of mine from this site. We have conversed via email and phone for nearly a year and a half. She has been on a similar journey as I, overcoming the exact same abuse from the same family members, only she and I at the time of our youth did not know that each one of us was suffering because we were told to keep the secrets, or else. Consequently, she had been in therapy to overcome the abuse. When we spoke, as if 3 plus decades had not passed by at all. We knew that there was divine guidance in our getting back together again. Anyway, neither of us has money, yet this July 4th (which we both hate due to strange things happening to us as children on Independence day, no kidding!) ...this July 4th I am flying from CO to FL to see her for the first time since 1971. We will start a new tradition for Independence Day for we have earned our independent spirit! And no one or nothing can tear us apart ever again because we are FREE to be our authentic selves. We will be reading "The Secret" and watching the DVD of "The Secret" so that we can learn to raise ourselves up to the standards we want for the rest of our lives. Only the book and movie will be of a different brand of secrets than those we kept all our lives! Groovey! L, PL
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