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Mum's Gone To …

Travel tales of an empty nester
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Home  >  Blog  >  We are family…

We are family…

Trish Burgess Posted on29/04/201007/04/2016 Lucky Dip 21 Comments

I blame my mother. Well we all do. Mothers are always reminding you of long-lost relatives you’ve never heard of. The conversation usually goes like this:

“You remember Auntie So and So, the one with the hip?”
“No, never heard of her”
“Of course you have. Married an engineer. They had that caravan at the coast”
“Nope.”
“You remember their youngest, surely? “
“Erm….No”
“She had terrible trouble with her bowels, couldn’t get on a bus”
“You’ve lost me, Mother”

Last week I had a similar discussion with my mum which involved a relative who knew my brother years ago and used to go to my school. Facebook had linked them together again. This time the chat went like this:

“You remember Toni, her grandfather was your grandmother’s brother”
“Hmmm…vaguely”
“She was born the same time as your brother, I was in hospital with her mum”
“It’s ringing a bell”
“She was two years ahead of you at school, lives in America.”
“That’s nice. And?”
“Well you should befriend her on Facebook too”
“But I don’t really know her”
“Oh but it would be nice for you”
“Oh I don’t know, Mum, she’ll think I’m mad”

Suffice to say, Mum decided to facebook-friend Toni herself and then got into a message chat with her. This is when it all got very spooky.

It turns out that my second cousin, who lives in America and whom I vaguely remember, is none other than fellow blogger Expat Mum. For the last few months since I’ve been blogging, both Expat Mum and I have been posting on the blog for mums of teenagers, Mad Manic Mamas. We have commented on each others’ posts and she has given me advice on how my son will manage on his skiing holiday. All this time neither of us were aware of our family connection…..but now we do!

Expat Mum and I are now Facebook friends and are piecing together the convoluted branches of our Newcastle-based family tree, which has now gone global. There also seems to be some facial similarities between my son and her nephew. It’s a very exciting time.

My mum is thrilled.

Thanks Mum.

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21 Comments

  1. Mummy Reply
    29/04/2010 at 2:51 pm

    Mums always know don't they! Congratulations though on catching up with some extended family!

  2. muummmmeeeeee...... Reply
    29/04/2010 at 2:56 pm

    Wow – how small is this world!!!

  3. The Dotterel Reply
    29/04/2010 at 3:05 pm

    Well, who'd have thought it… or 'eeeee' as they say in NyehcAstle.

    Personally I'm hoping to find out that Jo Beaufoix's my long-lost sister and that Rosie Scribble is my second-cousin once-removed. I don't know why.

    They say that, in a room full of Englishmen, over half will be related to King Edward 1st so there's every chance.

  4. Mammatalk Reply
    29/04/2010 at 3:36 pm

    Wow! What a story! I guess it was meant to be.
    Enjoy your new found friendship!

  5. TheMadHouse Reply
    29/04/2010 at 3:42 pm

    I have those conversations with my mum like that, but as the youngest in the family I have no idea what she is on about most fo the time. very 7 degrees of seperation!

  6. Expat mum Reply
    29/04/2010 at 4:27 pm

    Ours is a huge family. There are probably more out there in the blogosphere!

  7. libby Reply
    29/04/2010 at 4:42 pm

    How fabulous! very twilight zone…..so exciting to find that connection.
    Don't those conversations with your mom drive you mad? I've started pretending that I do remember people now just to get to the point a bit quicker!!

  8. Kelloggsville Reply
    29/04/2010 at 5:01 pm

    wow – small world!

  9. yummymummyno1 Reply
    29/04/2010 at 5:15 pm

    Wow – that really is a small world!
    Maybe I should actually listen to my mother more.. but on second thoughts.. ; )

  10. Liz (LivingwithKids) Reply
    29/04/2010 at 5:16 pm

    It really is unbelievably small – how brilliant to have discovered new rellies like this!

  11. MrsW Reply
    29/04/2010 at 5:16 pm

    How spooky? And lovely!

  12. Josie @Sleep is for the Weak Reply
    29/04/2010 at 5:37 pm

    That's amazing! And completely brilliant!

  13. deer baby Reply
    29/04/2010 at 6:28 pm

    That is amazing! Wow!

  14. Liza Reply
    29/04/2010 at 6:42 pm

    It had to happen! I love this world…;)

  15. diney Reply
    29/04/2010 at 8:07 pm

    Spooky! I loved those sort of conversations with a parent – but what a surprise that yours ended in something other than an argument!

    Have been out of action over Easter and enjoying a blog break as my posts are were not getting out into feeders or whatever the heck it is, but I am hoping a man will be helping me out, if you know what I mean!!

  16. Tattie Weasle Reply
    29/04/2010 at 9:36 pm

    You are seriously going to wonder who on earth Liza is aren't you? …errrmmm….hello!

  17. jfb57 Reply
    30/04/2010 at 7:23 am

    It is such a small world isn't it! Oh & you know Mothers are always right! Hee hee!

  18. make do mum Reply
    30/04/2010 at 3:31 pm

    What a lovely coincidence!

  19. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    30/04/2010 at 5:49 pm

    It's great to read all these comments – and to see that some of you have popped over to visit Expat Mum to read her version of events.
    As my cuz so neatly put it…"Well, Bugger me!"

  20. heidi adnum Reply
    02/05/2010 at 9:36 am

    Agreed, mums are always right 😀 Trish, thanks for your comments on mine.

  21. Pingback: Keeping blogging in the family - Mum's Gone To ...

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