[Juscuz]

Aloha everyone........I just got back from my reunion with my bson.......if anyone's been there, one cannot even put into emotions here all the feelings that go through you, waiting for the moment.

We decided on meeting a somewhere neutral at my sisters house to meet everyone. I'm sure for him it was an overwhelming experience to meet ALL the family at one crack. I have 4 brothers and sisters and tons of neices and nephews, my best friend was there too for moral support, as she had been for the last 30 years.

When he finally called to say he was down the
*street* needing directions, I just about fainted. This was real. I just started crying on my friends shoulders. I thought he got lost when he didn't arrive in 15 minutes as we thought, and that moment seeing him standing at the gate waiting to come in, my heart dropped, the entire crowd fell silent as our eyes met and held, tears beginning to form in my eyes. When I laid him with flowers and we hugged for what seemed an eternity hanging in the air, I felt all those emotions wash over me.......I couldn't help myself as I kissed his cheek, and he looked at me and said *Hi Ma, you okay?*. I couldn't speak, I just nodded, he said *You liar*......and we hugged for the longest time again. It seemed so natural.

After everyone made their way to him, and introduced themselves, my little daughter found her way to her brother, and from there, she never left his side. We spent 4 glorious days together, he slept over, we went to the beach, had a bbq, swam in the pool, went Christmas shopping - and he was a great sport, since he hates shopping, he came anyway.

The family was warm and loving towards him and welcomed him with such love and aloha I was near tears all weekend. When we had a quiet moment on the beach, we sat and hugged and talked. He doesn't hate me, in fact, he loves me very much for giving him the life he grew up with. And walking arms around each other at the mall was a Kodak moment I'll never forget when he said *Ma, I'm gonna miss this*.....

All my fears aside, he's grown to be a wonderful man, and we talked about our similarities, showed pictures and his remarkable resemblance to my grandfather., it's scary. He's one of those sons that you would be proud to call your own. I told him he was doubly loved all his life.

I made a scrapbook for him, and he loved it. I wrote several of my own messages and on the last page, I left it blank, with the page title *Our Family Reunion- Coming Full Circle*.

As I sit here typing this, I am so relieved that it's all over and that I have wonderful memories from this weekend. My husband didn't go, and we barely spoke, but it's okay, the atmosphere was warm and loving, and sometimes serious, but it needed to be heard.

I'm sure it's a natural feeling now, to once again feel the lost, I finally found him, was able to kiss his cheeks, smother his hair, rub his back and and look at him as if seeing my child again for the first time. All that love had just surfaced as soon as I saw his face again. I loved the fact that everytime I needed a hug, he gave me one, and said *I love you Ma*.

We will keep in touch, he has brothers, and a family unit that loves him, even all his cousins had just adored him, he fit like a glove. And it was like the paparazzi as all the cameras were flashing here and there taking pics. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I'm happy of our awesome reunion, but sad that it had to end. But I mark it as just the beginning of a wonderful journey.

Mahalo Nui Loa so much to all of you who eased my fears....as soon as I can develop (no digital the pics, I'm gonna post them

I've already gotten my Christmas present.......

Aloha,
Haunani

[Cheryl62]

Wow! It sounds simply perfect. I am just delighted for you!

A great Christmas present, indeed!

All the best to you both in building your relationship from here. I can't wait to hear more!

Cheryl

[blankenb4]

Congratulations on your reunion. What a wonderful present. I'm soooooo happy for you and everyone else that has had sucessful reunions.

Barbara
iso bdaughter 6-6-71

[ingodshands]

I am so pleased for you! Wow, I can't believe, how you two bonded so quickly. I just love the way you have put it all into words how you felt and how everything went.

Can't wait to see the pictures
Best of luck to you both for the future, this relationship is so special, hang on to it for dear life!
Collette

[Juscuz]

Thank you so much everyone. I'm still riding on that euphoric high. Permanent smile on my face. Last night though, my daughter - who bonded very close with her brother was extremely sad, so I told her to call him, when she did and he didn't answer, she left a message, then laid down on the couch and sobbed. 10 minutes later he calls back, and now she's near hysterics, she can't talk to him. I've never seen her this way before (shes 6 yo) She's very heart broken, but I allowed her to open the present she got from him, and everytime she wears it (a jacket), she can think of him.

On the 1st night we were *camping out* at my sisters house, all the bodies everywhere, it was so warm and comforting to have the closeness from all the members. Arms and legs thrown all over the place and on everyone else. When I came inside, my son was laying next to my daughter hugging her, he slept that way. My best friend and I had stayed awake until 2am just summing up the day, it's great to have such moral support like that. When I went inside, I sat there looking at the two and my heart did a flip flop as I stoked his hair and looking at the simlarities between the both of us, tears started dropping. He had somehow woken and turned to me and said *Ma, don't cry anymore okay?* and turned back to hug his sister and said *I love you too Ma, I do*. .......oh gosh, talk about a flood of tears just then.

I'm okay right now, but I just want to soak it all in.....at least for another 20 years

[Cheryl62]

Awwww..... your son snuggling your daughter....how sweet! I'm getting teary-eyed!

Soak away - enjoy every second!

[AVeley]

I'm so happy for you!

I can relate to having that perfect time together and then feeling so incredibly sad when it ended. I can't wait until I can see my bdad again!

Congrats again,

Alison