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Sisters in track and in life met for the first time a few months ago.
It’s amazing what a seemingly trivial decision can make, isn’t it? |
If 17 year-old Jordan Dickerson had not decided to run track to get in shape, she may never have met her long lost sister, Robin Jeter. But she did. It was at a track meet that other runners noted an uncanny resemblance between the girls. “She looks just like you, “ Jordan’s teammates pointed out.
The girls had grown up so differently. One sister remained with her mother before bouncing around in foster care and then landing with a legal guardian. The other was adopted at birth. But they lived close together in Washington D.C. and have been inseparable since meeting.
Why is it some reunions go so well between separated family members, and some fizzle?
Things go well when:
1) At least one of the separated family members knows about the other well in advance.
Finding lost family members requires a certain bit of resilience, and it’s made easier when at least one party isn’t caught off-guard.
2) Both parties are committed to not blaming the other for the separation.
It could have been touch-and-go for these lovely sisters if the one given up for adoption immediately blamed the sister who was not. Why did mom keep you, but give me away? What’s wrong with me? On the other hand, the oldest could have been resentful for all the struggles she had to endure in foster care while her little sister led a stable life with her adoptive parents.
3) The reuniting family members don’t have complicated lives that are threatened by the sudden reunification.
Let’s face it, if these two met ten years down the road, they might have had relationships, children of their own, or emotional scar tissue that could threaten the joy of finding family.
One trivial decision led to one critical event. A track meet unveiled a new future for two separated sisters.
Best wishes to these two sisters. May they know themselves more fully as they get to know one another.
 Thank you for all of the kind words after last week’s post. I appreciated it.
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| Resurrection Bay, Alaska |
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