This is DAY ONE

Being a Black woman in America, I do not take for granted the fact that I have a relationship with my father.

There have been many societal factors that have not made that possible for some Black families.

It has not been possible for some people I know. Namely, my father's "other" child/ren.

I am the baby of the family and as such there are many situations that I was not made privy to. One of them, the fact that my father was married before my mother.

It wasn't a big deal at the point that I heard about it and the story was so "neatly packaged" that I didn't think much more of it. Until...

I was at my father's sister's house in Suburban Atlanta looking through her photo album and she pointed to a photo of a boy and girl and asked, "Do you know who that is?"

She tells me that she was told that they are my father's children. Ok.....now "they" have a face.

I ask for the picture but my aunt is full of excuses as to why she can't let me make a copy of it. So I move on, but in the back of my mind, I want the photo.

Fastforward about 4-5 years. My aunt is asking my dad for photos from a family gathering and he tells me to send them. I basically say, "No, not until she gives me the photo of the children that may or may not be yours."

Dad says, "What? She has a picture of them? You're kidding!"

Fastforward another two months. I get a letter from my aunt, and in it is the photo. I read her letter and immediately forgive her in my mind. I turn the photo over and it has their names, ages and birthdays. WHOA!

I sat and stared at the picture like they would open up their mouth's and speak to me. I felt warm liquid hit my arm and I realized I had tears streaming down my face.

I wanted to know who these people were and I wanted to know for sure if they were my half sister and brother.

So for myself and for my father I am now on a mission....to be continued