My Very Own Unsolved Mystery - Solved!

Oprah and I have something in common.

This morning the news lit up with Oprah's family secret: that she had a long-lost half sister.

For those of you who may recall, I too discovered my own family mystery a little over a year ago that I never got a chance to conclude with readers.

After some back and forth communication over a few months' time between my dad and the young woman who could potentially be his long-long daughter, they finally went ahead with DNA testing. In early September 2009, it was confirmed that I have an older half-sister!

"Sister K" - as I'll refer to her - is an amazing person with an equally remarkable history!

As I had mentioned in a previous post, my dad did not have any knowledge of the birth of his first child all those years ago. Likewise, Sister K did not know the identity of her father until only within the past few years. She did not grow up with her biological mother, and was raised by folks who she had long thought were her relatives.

It wasn't until she reached early adulthood that she was reunited with her mother and began to reconnect with her blood relatives. Her mother's memory of our dad was a distant memory, but after some time, dad's name was finally revealed to her. However, Sister K's quest to search for her biological father wasn't one that she embarked on immediately. At the sage advice of her husband, she focused her efforts and emotion on rebuilding her relationship with the mother she never knew.

In 2009, Sister K gave birth to her 3rd child. When he was just a few months old, he suffered a serious allergic reaction that triggered a call to action in Sister K. The baby's physician inquired whether certain allergies ran in her family - but she wasn't completely sure, not knowing anything about her own father. Also, her two other children were smart, inquisitive little kids who were genuinely curious about their family history and cultural background. Sister K made every effort to tell them what she knew, but in her heart she wanted to know who that missing piece of her puzzle was, too. She began her own personal investigation and with determination and luck, eventually found the man who is her dad.

Although I was a part of this tale unraveling from our dad's side, it was all very surreal to me. The morning my dad called me with the DNA results, I had a moment of emotional relief, but the reality of it all still hadn't settled in. It wasn't until I met Sister K and her family on October 16, 2009 that feeling changed.

A notebook entry I made into my smartphone immediately after our visit that day, after we parted for the night, captured what Reunion Day 1 was like:

10.16.09 1846

This blog post is coming to you straight from the backseat of a rented Chevy, with my parents, driving through Tracy on our way down to Mountain View, CA. 

Today started for my parents and myself as a not so ordinary day. We woke up this morning knowing that our lives would converge on a new path together with people who were once virtual strangers. A plane ride into California's agricultural center and a few hours later, i found myself sitting at dinner with my mom, dad, and the older sister that I hadn't known existed until I learned of her earlier this summer. Her husband and adorable trio of children were company as well.

Have you ever met a stranger that you instantly clicked with, that made you wonder whether you knew them in a past life? This was one of those rare instances. It was like having dinner with family we merely haven't seen in years.

A couple of days later, my younger sister and her son traveled to join our reunion, and the chemistry between all family members was so natural. It truly was like hanging out with family we hadn't seen in a while.

I love having two sisters, and fully embrace my "middle child" status! It was so uncanny to learn how similar our personalities are, the experiences we've shared over the course of our upbringing, our same likes/dislikes, and just how close in proximity we lived to each other over the years. As much as I would have loved to have known Sister K as we were growing up, I wouldn't change a thing about how we have all come together. Sister K experienced a childhood filled with challenges that ultimately gave her strength, resiliency, and loving qualities. I don't know that many people who have walked a similar path as she has would turn out to be such a positive, beautiful person. She is certainly someone I look up to.

Happy Birthday, Sister K! Aloha nui loa <3