Big Changes

Since birth, I have led a unique life. I was born into a world of sheer uncertainty, surprise, and lack of want. When I was born, my mom was 18 years old, and the last thing she needed, wanted, or expected was a baby, However, there I was. Fortunately for us both, she had two parents who were not only available to help her, but also willing, For the first 5 years of my life, we lived with my grandparents, something I would not change for the world. Because of this, I was able to form a very special bond with both of my grandparents, especially my grandfather. On the other hand, I never really knew my biological father. I had a relationship with his parents, specifically his mother, and his brothers, but I never knew him. That was my choice, and he left me to it. As years went on, my mom got married and the man she married immediately became my daddy. That will never change. I got a baby sister and a baby brother, and we moved to Tennessee. I lost touch with my biological fathers' family, something I attribute to lack of communication, and my life continued without them. I was happy. I had my parents, my siblings, my grandparents, my friends, and my home. There was no void. I did think about the other side of my family but had no idea whether or not I should make contact, or how well I would be received. When I graduated from HS, I invited my biological fathers' family, including my biological father, to my HS graduation. I never expected them to come. They did. I had no idea what to say or how to respond. I was truly shocked. After that day, neither them nor I made any efforts to communicate. My life continued; My family moved to Kentucky, I went to college, my grandfather died, I had a hard time and quit school. Several years later, my family decided to move back to Georgia; Atlanta to be exact. This is when I really began to ponder making contact with my biological fathers' family. Here I was, in Atlanta, Ga and I knew they were all in Augusta- a mere two hours away. I knew I wasn't ready, if I ever would be ready, to see or build a relationship with him, but I did miss my grandmother. Not long after I moved, I received a friend request on Facebook from one of my biological fathers' brothers. After the element of surprise subsided, I accepted the request, after which I promptly messaged my mother and told her who had found me. It turns out, she had added my "uncle" and he had found me from her page. From there, I got a request from 2 aunts: one I knew from years ago, and one I didn't even know existed. Finally, I found my grandmother. Since then, I have been to Augusta to see them many times, and will continue to visit them many times more. In addition, I made the brave effort to see and talk to my biological father. I don't know how or why, I simply decided that it was time. I still don't know him, and he certainly doesn't know me, but we are working towards building some kind of relationship. I don't really know where this is headed, and that both scares me and intrigues me all at the same time. I do know that this is a journey worth taking, and one that is long overdue.