"Dear Ricky"

After a much needed 10 day vacation to NH, Christy and I began settling back into our new life - and all that that entails. It was so good to see everyone - my daughters and our friends. We had a very active week and a half. Spending quality time with my girls and granddaughter, including a fun trip to Boston. An awesome 2 days in Portland with our friend Valerie. And then lots of visiting with other friends. I even got in some soccer with Marc and Anne's boys, Nicholas and Eli. Oh, and let's not forget that breakfast with Bruce and Liza at Intervale House of Pancakes.

The day after our return I woke up at 5 AM to a cacophony of birds. Surprisingly I was able to go back to sleep. Later in the morning I went to the post office to retrieve a registered letter. To my astonishment it was a reply letter from my biological father in Brazil. Through a former co-worker (the amazing Ruggero Dimedrano), I was able to find an address for the name "Milton Chester De Castro". I wrote a letter back in February in the hopes that it was my father. Well, after a ten year search my wait was over. Words cannot describe how happy I am to have gotten this letter. A letter that expressed regret for not having made contact with me sooner. and asking for my forgiveness. Mind you, the last time I saw my father I was about a year old living in Germany (Needless to say, I don't remember him.) Finally I can see what that side of my family looks like, learn some history, and more importantly - see him. He's 76 years old and is retired from the pharmaceutical industry. He has two other sons and five grandsons. I wrote him a lengthy letter in reply forgiving him and sharing what's been going on in my life the past 49 years. I'm still in shock as I type this. I found my father. He's alive, he wants my forgiveness, and he wants a dialog. I couldn't ask for any more. Well, perhaps two round trip tickets to Sao Paulo.