FACEBOOK AND FATE( CONT’ D) non-fiction,.
THIS IS THE PHOTO THAT JUMPED OUT AT ME. DEFINITELY MY UNCLE BERNIE AS A YOUNG MAN.
1970s. They were little kids at the time, a little older than my own kids, and it was the only time I ever saw them.
You read about things like this happening, but you never expect it to happen to you. That first exchange led to a whole slew of IMs on Facebook once I got back from my date. Lisa gave me the Facebook pages of more cousins. Some I remembered, and others I’ d never met, like Susan, who had already sent me messages by the time I got home.
Susan and I messaged back and forth until 1:30 that morning, and I learned that she was my Uncle Phil’ s daughter and her mother June was 90 now and still alive. It just got better and better. As a kid I always idolized my Aunt June. She was quite a bit younger than my uncle and I’ d always thought she was so cool. Susan said she had already told her mother that we found each other and there was excitement all around. Susan will be traveling to Las Vegas this spring.
The next one to surface was my cousin Judy, whom I lost track of as an adult in the late 70s, and we’ ve planned a phone call. She is Lisa’ s half-sister. My daughter was beyond excited. As a little kid she loved Judy for the short time we knew her, and now she was back in our lives. Jakki called me from England where she lives, and for almost an hour she reminisced about all the times she remembered spending with Judy.
What can I say? Sometimes fate moves in strange ways, and as people have pointed out, some good things happen on Facebook.
Consider this: This entire scenario would not have happened if I had not had the impulse to check Facebook even though I was ready to leave. I looked at exactly the right time for that comment to be visible, because anyone who goes on Facebook knows how quickly posts disappear. If my cousin hadn’ t kept the Shifrin in her name— I would have had no idea that she was related. Too many coincidences, for Fate not to have a hand in what happened.
I have always believed in Fate, and I truly believe this was meant to happen. Now that I’ m in touch with the cousins, the connection won’ t slip away again.
WINTER 2017
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