On Brothers

I wanted to say something brilliant about remembrance day. Needless to say, as soon as you try to think of something good, you can't. Instead I've been thinking about my Grampy (mom's dad). He actually fought in the second world war, and when he was still alive Remembrance day was a more important holiday to all the people in my family. Mostly I've been thinking about how much my family has changed...For the better?

Two weeks ago my mother phoned me to say that she and my dad were officially divorced. They've been separated for a few years so I didn't have any delusions about them reconciling. The disturbing thing is that I don't know how long they've been divorced. It's been awhile apparently, only my mom figures that at 24 I'm not old enough to deal with complex adult issues. What the hell?!

Anyway, last week she phoned me, yet again at work, to tell me that she had gotten a copy of her son's birth certificate (her was given up for adoption at birth, so until that moment she hadn't even known his name). She then revealed her plan to do a Canada wide phonebook search for people with that name to see if she could talk to him.

The next day she phoned me, you know where, and told me that she had spoken to him. He lives in Calgary with his wife. I've been an aunt since I was 14.

Last Friday I found out that he was so excited about the possibility of meeting his biological family (his adoptive one being shitty and alcoholic) that he will be here (with wife in tow) this Friday. I will meet them on Saturday. I think his wife's name is Kim. I think that maybe, beneath the weirdness, nervousness and general confusion, I'm excited too.