postie

Hi, everyone.
This is posties wife here. Thanks for the help you've been giving us. Hopefully, one day we'll be over there giving other people the help we're getting.
We're about to start the process of coming out to the USA and it seems from the replys to my husbands pleas(!) that the best way for us tis to start with a paternity test. Spoke to my Dad today (who's in Greenville, IN) and he says "go for it girl!!" Keep wishing and hoping that it'll be quick but then I'm an optimist!!
Nice to meet you all

whatever

Nice to meet you too - hopefully you will get through the process as quickly as possible.
Do let us know how you get on with your paternity test

postie

Thanks for the welcome. It's good to talk with people that have gone through/are going through some of the things we are about to expect! My husband (postie) says it looks like he's lost his place at the computer now I've discovered this site!! But, hey, he works and I'm the homemaker!!
Hope to speak to you all again soon.

BrigieDarling

Come back and talk to us as often as you can.... This is all very interesting to us and we wish you the best of luck!

postie

Thanks very much! You can't believe what a roller coaster ride it's been for me. if you want the story, don't be afraid to ask. It had 2 of my friends in tears when I told them!!!

BrigieDarling

Those stories always have the happiest endings!

whatever

Yes give us the story! I love reading other peoples living in the US/immigration experiences so if you want to share... I, for one will happily grab a cuppa and read

BrigieDarling

There you go again... Rubbing your Typhoo in our faces....LOL (just wait, you'll be begging me for PG-Tips in no time)

I kinda wanna hear the story now too, so I'll shup!

postie

Ok then. Are you sitting comfortably? This is a long story11 Then I'll begin!! First we have to go back to Christmas 1957. My Mum was single and about to go to a dance at a local USAF base. While she was there she met my Dad, a young American airforce corporal. They dated, fell in love but disaster struck, when in January 1960 my Dad was posted back to the States with 48 hours notice. He managed to get his home address to my Mum, via a friend and had to leave. 6 weeks later, my Mum found out that she was pregnant. As you can imagine, in 1960 it was a disgrace to be pregnant without a husband and she still hadn't heard from my Dad. When I was born, Mum tried to register me but without a marriage certificate and no birth certificate or authorisation from my Dad, she wasn't allowed to have his name put on my birth certificate. My Mum tried for the next 3 years to contact my Dad but to no avail. She felt that she'd been abandoned but couldn't believe that my Dad would do that to her because they'd discussed having a life together.
I grew up knowing that my Dad was American and what his name was, but that was it. When I was 5 my Mum married (a mistake!) and had 2 more children. She divorced when I was 16 and at 17 I met and married my wonderful husband who I love more each day. There were times I thought of my Dad (when I married and then when I had my twin sons) but I didn't have that urge that some people have to 'find' their roots.
That changed one day when my sons had to prepare a family tree for a school project. My husband is one of 10 children and they all have fair sized families, so my side of the tree looked rather bare!! I asked my Mum if she had a photo of my Dad and after some thought she told me that she'd torn them up and thrown them away when she lost hope of ever seeing him again.
She said why didn't I look on the internet for his last address and try to get in touch if that was what I wanted. I had no idea that she still had his address. After much thought, between us, me and my Mum wrote to the local paper in that area (we couldn't find Dads address on the internet) and asked if anyone knew the whereabouts of him.
2 weeks later my mum received a short letter in the post asking how she was, where was I and was I ok!!
Over the next 18 months we exchanged letters, e-mails and phone calls and finally in the summer of 2002 myself, husband and 2 sons went to meet my Dad. I had never believed that you could feel anything for someone you hardly knew but oh boy!, I feel like I've always known my Dad and love him dearly.
While we were in the USA I discovered that he'd never received any letters from my Mum and that he'd written to my Mum and she'd never received any letters from him. In the end he gave up because he thought she'd changed her mind about him and had found someone else.
A few years later, he married (a really nice woman), had 2 more daughters and a son and then, later through a family member, found out about me and my Mums letters and said he was devastated that he'd not known.
Of course my Mum (and Dad) will always wonder what could have been had those letters reached their destination but now at least I have a chance of knowing my Dad and hopefully, we will be able to continue that relationship in the USA. We have to try to catch up on those missed years. It's what we both deserve, I think.
Well, I told you it was a long story (at least 2 cups of teasworth, I reckon!!
I hope I haven't bored you and at least you can see why we're so eager to get to the USA to live our lives.

waxwabbit

Greetings Postie and Posties wife!

That is sure a sweet tale!

all the best

Lee

BrigieDarling

Wow! It really was beautiful.

Thank you for taking the time to write that for us... I'm going to have a third cup now and read it again!

postie

Well, it was long but I hope worth the read! This site is great and so far the people have been great too!

postie

Did you get to reading the story yet? I admit it's long but I hope worth the read!

BrigieDarling

You're right, the people (not gonna make the mistake of saying members again) are a nice lot ain't they?

So what was the first meeting like... were you scared?

postie

Was I scared?!?!!!! No, actually I was more nervous. We had been talking on the phone for about 12 months by then but nothing prepares you for the real thing! To start with it was my first flight apart from an hours hop to Germany once while my husband was in the RAF. (by the way he says HI and will he ever get back on the site! HA Ha) so that was a first to come to terms with and then of course there was the meeting to come! I thought that it would be easier to book a hotel/motel for the holiday but my Dad would have none of that and insisted we stay with him and his wife. So, picture the airport lounge and then two people in floods of tears hugging, kissing and laughing!! We must have looked like crazy people! I would say that the first 30 minutes were a little awkward but from then on it was like we'd been together forever. I have to say that it wasn't like meeting for the first time. It was like I'd been away and was coming home. A very strange feeling for sure!
We went back again this summer and spent another three weeks (not enough!) and are planning another holiday soon.
I've met most of my new family. I have a new brother, sister-in-law, two gorgeous nieces, aunts, uncles and 2 sisters and their families (who haven't adjusted so well) but hey! you win some, you lose some.