Only Child?

Last night we had a fabulous visit with Jack's birth mom (I'll call her M for this post) and her ten-year-old daughter (I'll call her C), one of Jack's half-sisters. Four years ago they moved out of state, and we haven't seen each other for a while. They're in town unexpectedly, so they called out of the blue. Which is an amazing coincidence because just days ago Roger and I were talking about them and how we much we wanted Jack to see them again.

Jack knows about M, but since he hasn't seen her in years he really doesn't have any memories of her. We talk about her from time to time, and we often include her in our family prayers, but we want her to be real to him. And we want him to know his two older half-sisters, too (especially since he has been an only child his whole life). It just seems right and good to us.

So Jack and C bonded immediately. First sword fights with Johnny and Benny at The Read Leaf (arms and shields made from cardboard, popsicle sticks and packing tape are staple entertainment here). Then bike riding, rubber band battles and light saber duels at home while the grown-ups talked.

C's a great kid! And it was neat to find out how much Jack has meant to her all these years. M says she often begs to come visit us. When it came time to leave, C gave Jack a big hug. And Jack, a pretty typical seven-year-old boy when it comes to hugging girls, gave her a big hug right back. I have no doubt they have a special bond that will last a lifetime, and I will never again think of Jack as an only child.