Please excuse me for not thanking the posters in the last couple of days. I've been wearing my "Duckboots" hat and trying to get rid of 10 million infernal small "seed pods" (or something) that have floated down from a tree and enveloped my little garden.
One of the really positive things that happened to me after making contact with my birth mother has been getting to know my half/sister, and becoming an "instant aunt". Just as with my adoptive family, the relationships are "long distance" and mostly carried out over the phone, but a couple of years ago she came to Canada (from Coventry) for a visit, and I was amazed at how similar we are in so many ways.
Being an only child, whose folks died young, I think Rick has approached this rediscovery of my roots thing from a bit of a vicarious position.
Heather