When I met my dad at 16, I was so happy to know that my Dad’s wife was extremely welcoming and excited for me to be apart of the family.

I felt loved and I finally belonged to a family unit. I felt special knowing that it was her who had put out immense effort to locate me while I resided outside of another country.

All my sense of security had manifested itself in front of me for the 1st time.

Fast forward to today, while it is difficult to connect with my father 16 years later, now that he is divorced and doesn’t have the language to express love, I’m still very grateful for that experience