ALMOST unbelieveable twist to this strange "family" of mine.

The thoughts of a "reunion" evoked:

The few of you who read this, including you Danielle Mary , may be astounded and almost tempted not to believe that which I tell you regarding my family. Yes, Danielle, how I (we) managed to raise three beautiful human beings amongst all of this angst and revelations that occurred for me as you grew up is beyond me. Literally "beyond" as in why I believe in God even though he ( or she/it) was rarely mentioned in my childhood.

But there actually IS a part of "me" that I have yet to explore and that is the Jewish part of the family. Quick & brief:

In 1985 I went to Florida for a Housman reunion. Donna & Lisa, Dad & Cigdem, Charlotte ( Dad's nudist sister) & I THINK David, Dad's brother were there although I can't remember for sure. That trip truly is a blur for me. I cried uncontrollably and was inconsolable for nearly 9 hours on that day. It is the one part of my life's story that remains an entire mystery ... one that would take a lot of work to solve. Basically I have relatives everywhere who are an extension of my grandfather... Robert L. Housman's fam and I met some of them in 1985. I don't remember any of their names...oh Milton ... was Robert's brother, a retired pharmacist, and sooooooo looked like my Dad! He was in fact Dad's uncle... Robert's brother.I'm sure Milton has passed.

Robert married a gentile... my Grandmother ( the FIRST Mary C. Housman!) and so was literally kicked out of the family..... a jewish thaaaaaaang. One day I'll get to finish that story... but I'm not ready and there is no time.

But in case there are skeptics.... Google Robert L. Housman. You will find that he was a professor at the U of Montana...Missoula. And the first man in this country to earn a PhD in journalism. THAT I know because I personally corresponded with a man who worked with (taught with) him in Montana. I didn't believe this guy Robert existed myself so had to confirm. He was not a very nice fellow, having literally abandoned his own children ON THE STREET ... David tells that story. Oh. And after my Grandmother divorced him, he married a woman named Lillian & hey had a child , Mickey, whom I met at that reunion. It is STILL too much for me to process & I very conveniently throw and stash all of this in the back recesses of my brain and hope that some day I can "reconnect" with some of those offspring I saw through a veil of tears in 1985. But if I never do, I think I will be ok with it.