Life II - The Rest of the Story

Did you have a rough beginning? Many people do. Here's the rest of the story from my post "Life". 

After moving back to Virginia, my mother lived with my grandmother until she married my first step-father (now deceased). At six, I was told that he was not my real father. This meant little to me, only that I was different from my sisters.  When I got older, I secretly hoped Neil Diamond was my real dad. After all, he has brown eyes like I do. Whenever I thought of my real father, there was just a question mark for his face. I never asked where he was or had feelings about him not being in my life. Both of us living life, just separately.

When I was 15 and pregnant, my mom shared more information about my real father. Not Neil Diamond. But yes, he has brown eyes, hair the color of mine, and likes wintergreen Lifesavers. He had married his sweetheart.  Later, I worked in a retail store and often would wonder if the brown-eyed man I helped was indeed him. It seemed the question mark grew larger. 

When I was nineteen, I finally asked my mom to set up a meeting. My objective was to remove the question mark and replace it with a face. I had no intention of us becoming a part of each other's lives. No long term connection. We met for lunch one Friday. He discovered he was a grandfather. I discovered I had two sisters and a brother. I left lunch satisfied that I could pick him out of a crowd. No more question mark.

But guess what? He wanted a relationship. I met his sweetheart wife and later my new siblings. Now I had two sides--my mom's and my dad's. I married and had my second son. Occasionally, both sides attended life events at the same time. Birthday parties or kid's events. Awkward. That's the best description. Everyone remained cordial, but an uneasy stress seemed present. Especially for me.

In 2004, I offered a small Bible study group in my home and invited some folks—including both sets of parents. My hubby said, "Won't that be difficult for everyone?"

"Maybe. I'm going to leave that to God." And both sides joined the group. Eating meals together and sharing my oldest two grandsons did ease the tension a bit. But God took care of the rest. Over the next four years or so, we met almost weekly. Awkwardness eased into acceptance, which bloomed into friendship. They became pals who teased and yet, prayed for each other. And my heart smiled.

In 2009, God delivered two miracles into our family. Extremely tiny grandsons.  I babysat for these preemies the first six months. My mom and step-mom helped a lot. And the G-Force began. Granny (my mom), G.G. (my step-mom) and Gami (that's me). Nurturing these teeny men bonded the three of us like Neapolitan ice cream. My mom and step-mom became as close as cookies and cream. And my heart overflowed.

My sweetheart-step mom now resides in Glory with her Maker. But to this day, if you saw my mom, step-dad and father together, you'd bet they were old childhood friends. Only God can create such sweet endings to such a rough beginning. And my heart rejoices.

What about your beginning? I'm sure there's a story to share. 

Tammy Van Gils is a writer, blogger, and small business owner. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers International. In the Richmond area, she is a member of The Christian Writers Hub and Word Weavers Richmond. Visit her Facebook Page, Pinterest and Twitter @Tammyvangils. Check out her blog at Tammy Van Gils.