Being a part of 23andme I have been able to read wonderful stories about adoptees finding their families and long lost relatives and distant family members finding one another and sharing their stories and photos. A year ago, scratch that- a day before it happened, I wouldn't have imagined what joy I would be receiving and the new connection I would have.
I was home for Winter break and I was sick in bed watching episodes of How I Met Your Mother. When my phone vibrated that I had received a new email. I noticed that it was from this blog and someone had commented. Little did I know it was my dad's cousin (his grandfather and her mother are siblings)! I didn't know too much about this family except the story of how my great grandmother and her daughter passed away the same day and how I tried to follow what I thought was a myth at the time to my great grandparent's grave. My new cousin was able to confirm that their grave was there but also provided me with pictures of my paternal great grandparents, as well as my great grandmother's mother- something I thought I would never ever have the opportunity to see. Lesson of the day: never, ever give up hope! You never know who's reading your blog, posts, etc or looking for the same person as you are! Thanks to this cousin I learned more about my family for example that my great grandmother, Mercedes Ortiz Marrero, worked for Felisa Rincon de Gautier, who was the first woman to be elected Mayor of a capital city in the Americas!!
Now knowing that the tomb is actually there I can visit it and take pictures and pay my respects to my great grandparents! This truly was a Christmas miracle!
I was home for Winter break and I was sick in bed watching episodes of How I Met Your Mother. When my phone vibrated that I had received a new email. I noticed that it was from this blog and someone had commented. Little did I know it was my dad's cousin (his grandfather and her mother are siblings)! I didn't know too much about this family except the story of how my great grandmother and her daughter passed away the same day and how I tried to follow what I thought was a myth at the time to my great grandparent's grave. My new cousin was able to confirm that their grave was there but also provided me with pictures of my paternal great grandparents, as well as my great grandmother's mother- something I thought I would never ever have the opportunity to see. Lesson of the day: never, ever give up hope! You never know who's reading your blog, posts, etc or looking for the same person as you are! Thanks to this cousin I learned more about my family for example that my great grandmother, Mercedes Ortiz Marrero, worked for Felisa Rincon de Gautier, who was the first woman to be elected Mayor of a capital city in the Americas!!
Now knowing that the tomb is actually there I can visit it and take pictures and pay my respects to my great grandparents! This truly was a Christmas miracle!
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