Part 3. The Call.

PART 3

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

As Promised :)

So here I am, calling my biological Dad, Blair. He answers. 

Blair: "Hello?"

Me: "Hi Blair, I think you know who this is" 

And that was all that was needed before he was sent to tears. I could barely understand him he was crying so hard. I was actually talking to the father that gave life to me. I couldn't believe my ears. I could tell he was in shock, because he kept asking how I was. I explained to him that I was great. That I was raised by an amazing family, and that my life has been blessed far beyond I could've ever hoped or dreamed for. Then, all I could think to say was.. Thank you. Thank you for being so selfless to give me away. Thank you for allowing me to go to a family that has raised me from a child, to young girl, to the woman I am today. Just, thank you. For Everything. 

The rest of the conversation was a jumble to me. He was crying a LOT. Maybe it just hadn't hit me yet, but I hadn't really gotten emotional at that point. That is, until he said this one phrase:

"There hasn't been a day that past 18 years that I haven't thought about you. Wondered if you're ok.  And Prayed that the day would come you would want to know me. And here it is." 

Yeah, that about did me in. All my time growing up, I really never thought twice about finding my birth-dad. It was always my "birth-mom this, birth-mom that." Maybe that was just the natural feeling between mother and daughter, but I assumed I'd never know my dad. BOY was I wrong! Because here I was listening to the man that created who I was. 

He told me I have my mothers eyes. But I have his cheeks and ears (Told ya!) 

He told me that he plays the guitar, drums, and SINGS. He told me he thought I had a beautiful voice. (Thank you Facebook.)

He told me that giving me away was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.

He told me about my birth-mother, Lori. 

He told me about my sister, Ashley. 

He told me he was so grateful to my parents for raising me into a beautiful young woman. 

He told me the events leading up to my birth.

He told me about Cape Breton, and how I come from the most beautiful part of Canada.

He told me he loved me.

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, meet this new important part of my life, Blair.

Our initial conversation didn't last TOO long. After all, we now had our entire lives to get to know each other. But man it was good to hear his voice. That thick Canadian accent! Love it. 

I had turned 18 years old that week. I received the papers I'd longed for. I emailed my Aunt Patsy. I was bombarded with Canadian Cousins. And within 4 days, I was on the phone with Blair, my father. 

I am one BLESSED girl. 

From that point on, Blair and I spoke quite a bit for the next few days. He would think of something to tell me and hurry and call me up. You could tell how excited he was to have me in his life, and I was excited to get to know him. To find out where he fit in with my life. 

Blair's birthday isn't long after mine, and he told me that I was the BEST 50th birthday present a guy could ask for. I had mentioned to both him and Patsy my fears going into all this, and how I didn't want to get my hopes up. How I didn't want to get hurt. His reply?

"You won't get hurt. Not while I'm alive anyway."

As all this was happening, I'd often check in with my folks to make sure they were ok with this. It was important that they knew that I wasn't abandoning them, and that they are, and forever will be, MY parents. Nothing or no one could take that away from me. I can't tell you how supportive both my Mom and Dad were as I went along with this. They cried with me. Jumped for joy with me. They were helpful by simply just being there. At one point, I was talking to my Dad, Ron, about it, and I asked if this all was ok with him, and his reply really hit me- "You can never have too many people loving you. I see no problem with that."

You can never have too many people loving you. Truer words have never been more.. true. I sure was feeling it at this point, because my family had just doubled in size, and I was inspired by how accepted I was. How each and every cousin I talked to just took me under their wing and told me how much I meant to them. These are people that I had never met before. People that I'd never SEEN before. Yet, the love felt was undeniable. Two days later I was on the phone with my "Nanny and Grampy," Blair's parents. Again with the love! They are two of the sweetest, nicest people you'll ever meet, and I instantly had the feeling of being THEIR granddaughter. 

To talk about all the events that happened in that short time would take a blog post the size of the Nile. However, I just want my readers to know that this has been an incredible experience overall. Sure, at times I'd feel overwhelmed, and almost scared to have all this new family I'd never met. But, all in all, I felt loved. I felt accepted. I felt that puzzle of life ALMOST complete. (The story of Lori is yet to come. Stay tuned.) I just want you all to know that I love my family. I have a huge, undeniable knowledge of how important family is, and that whether we share the same genes or not, family is there for you. My experience of finding my biological family has helped me grow and respect how hard it was for them to say goodbye to me. How much work it was for my parents, Debbie and Ron, to adopt me, but how happy they were to have me. This experience has greatly enhanced my Canadian pride!! Most importantly, I have a new found respect for families around the world who put a baby up for adoption. It's not just the birth-mother that goes through it, oh no, It's the whole family. Never in a million years did I expect my experience to turn out as well as it did, and I will spend the next million years thanking my Heavenly Father for allowing my life to turn out like it did. I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand more times... I. Am. Blessed. 

 That night, I MET Patsy. Face to Face. I also met her husband, Spencer, her son, Andrew (Who is almost exactly 9 months younger than me,) and her daughter, Tricia. A night to remember with family i'll never forget.

What do you think, do we look like family?!

I've spent the last 1 year, 2 months, and 10 days becoming part of a whole new family. 

And in 7 days, I will be going to Canada. And I'll be meeting, face to face, my father, Blair. 

Guys, the rest.... well, the rest is history :) 

Love, 

Your favorite Canadian-American,

Lauren Jayne Loock