half-siblings...

My dad was married, had two kids and a divorce before he even met my mom. I don't know a ton of the details, but there are plenty of jokes about my dad trying to survive as a single man with a limited cooking repertoire. Fortunately, he met my mom and wore her down for them to marry October 8, 1977. They had me in 1982 soon after my older sister graduated from high school and my brother was in middle school. Four and a half years later Kelsie joined the party.

I don't have a ton of memories of us growing up... I remember when Mindy lived above the funeral home and I remember Adam torturing me... As I got older I remember Mindy trying to spoil me with movies Dad wouldn't let me watch but ensuring I had at least read the book first. When I moved back home after college, Mindy and I spent countless Wednesday nights at the dollar movie theaters. Kelsie was with us sometime in 2004 to see Ladder 49 and the three of us left looking a wreck with puffy, red bloodshot eyes after nearly two hours of straight sobbing. We try to have a sibling movie night on Thanksgiving Eve every year as one of the few opportunities we still have to get everyone together. 

Today, Oprah devoted her show to the announcement she found out she has a half-sister she never knew about. Hearing their story and watching them meet, just made me even more grateful I have known my half-sister my entire life. We have definitely grown closer over the years and I love her dearly. Some people are surprised when our entire family gets together for a birthday dinner including my dad's ex-wife and her husband, but I'm so grateful for my parents allowing our relationship as siblings to grow as we grew up and matured. I can't imagine life without Mindy or Adam let alone without my brother-in-law Jamie and my adorable nephews Zac and Cameron. 

Tonight... I'm incredibly thankful for half-siblings... so thankful I dropped the "half" a long time ago...