Family Ties

About fifty years ago, having lost both parents, my Dad also gradually lost touch with his only sister and no attempt to find her in later years proved successful. Dad's mother had three siblings and this picture is of my father's Aunt Stella, name sake of my Aunt Stella, Dad's long lost younger sister. North Londoner's All.

Almost two years ago, on 2nd May 2011, I received a very short email from a stranger asking me if I could confirm some personal details and identify myself as the person she was seeking. I could, I was, I did. My cousin, for that's who she turned out to be, had finally found me. During a rapid email exchange I learnt that my 'new' cousin has two brothers and that her mum, Dad's sister, was alive, though rather frail, living in a nursing home in Scotland. I clearly remember Dad's face (thank goodness for Skype) that evening when I told him that I had heard from my long lost cousin and answered the question he hadn't wanted to ask. Within weeks my Dad flew to Inverness from London to to visit my Aunt. Brother and sister together for the first time in half a century.

Why am I writing all this today? Because it is raining and earlier on, stuck indoors and feeling rather bored, my unoccupied mind wandered, who knows where, backwards and forwards, until I realised that I haven't written to my cousin for a long time. I am now going to do something about that which will give focus to this otherwise very dull day.