My parents divorced when I was 3, my mom remarried when I was 4 and my dad adopted my older brother and I when I was 5. I didn't hear from my biological dad until I graduated from high school when he sent me a picture, letter and a check. Turns out when he agreed to the adoption, he said he wouldn't contact us until we graduated from high school.
After that I would get a card and small check every Christmas and birthday and would talk to him on the phone occasionally. Even visited him in California a couple of times -- he was divorced from wife #3 by that time and I had three half brothers and a half sister.
I went back to college in my early thirties and the first week of my senior year seriously broke my ankle and had to have surgery. Skipped winter semester and moved in with my bio dad in California while I did temp work to save for school.
My sister (half sister from my mom's second marriage) came down to visit me and spent most of her time with my half brother. They have been married for over 25 years.
As a result, she is my sister and sister-in-law, and he is my brother and brother-in-law. Makes for an interesting flow chart.
Karen L.
