Yesterday, I met my mother's family for the first time! For the longest time, I wondered if someone I met on the street could be my uncle, aunt, or cousins. Now, that questions is resolved.
To explain things properly, my mother, who was Chinese, was adopted by a Malay when she was one. The two families did keep in touch when she was young but lost touch after the racial riots in Singapore in the nineteen fifties. She had tried to find her biological family several times but unsuccessfully till her death. Similarly, with her family's efforts.
However, last Monday, a newspaper article appeared in the Malay newspaper in which her brother appealed to whoever has pertinent information of her whereabouts. My father later managed to speak to my cousin regarding my mother's passing. She (the cousin) decided that it was better to keep quiet about it during the Chinese New Year period but to my surprise, yesterday, about ten of them came over to my home. My eldest uncle and his wife, younger aunt, their children and two other cousins, children of my older aunts, all came. Seems like my mother had 6 other siblings, her being the 5th. Another surprise is that my family has a history of twins - my younger aunt has a twin brother living in Bangkok.
They were quite sad not to be able to meet my mother but I think they were happy to have met my siblings and me. My uncle did say that they would be organising a get-together with all of the relatives there since there are several more cousins who couldn't make it.
Anyway, I really am glad that I got to meet these long lost relatives. God is great.
To explain things properly, my mother, who was Chinese, was adopted by a Malay when she was one. The two families did keep in touch when she was young but lost touch after the racial riots in Singapore in the nineteen fifties. She had tried to find her biological family several times but unsuccessfully till her death. Similarly, with her family's efforts.
However, last Monday, a newspaper article appeared in the Malay newspaper in which her brother appealed to whoever has pertinent information of her whereabouts. My father later managed to speak to my cousin regarding my mother's passing. She (the cousin) decided that it was better to keep quiet about it during the Chinese New Year period but to my surprise, yesterday, about ten of them came over to my home. My eldest uncle and his wife, younger aunt, their children and two other cousins, children of my older aunts, all came. Seems like my mother had 6 other siblings, her being the 5th. Another surprise is that my family has a history of twins - my younger aunt has a twin brother living in Bangkok.
They were quite sad not to be able to meet my mother but I think they were happy to have met my siblings and me. My uncle did say that they would be organising a get-together with all of the relatives there since there are several more cousins who couldn't make it.
Anyway, I really am glad that I got to meet these long lost relatives. God is great.
2 comments:
Wow, congratulations! I can't imagine what that must have been like... I'm sorry about your mother's passing. I'm glad I stumbled over your blog however. :) I'm Maia, and I live in Norway. I like your attitude towards life.
:)
Thanks, Maia, for your kind comments.
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