[Ratanddragon]

My mom died 5 years ago. At the time, we were just reconciling after a long period of estrangement. In that time, I hit bottom and simply did not give a damn.

The problem I have now is that my mother had deliberately isolated us from both my father's family and her own family while I was growing up. I'm living in the area my dad is from, but I don't know much about her family.

In some ways, coming out from hitting bottom feels like I'm waking up emotionally, and I'm beginning to care a lot. I really feel that I gave Mom's family a raw deal by not trying to contact them earlier. They have a right to know.

I've taken a good first step as I've contacted some promising leads in the area I knew my uncle and aunt lived (Mom had a pretty uncommon maiden name.) The thing is, I'm nervous as hell and I'm not sure what to do next. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[nightbird]

Be yourself... and smile!

They will be so happy to see you.

Show your delightful inner beauty, and everything will be fine.

Have a little faith, they say!

And when in doubt, a warm smile makes everything go better, no matter who, what or where, you know?

Let us know how it goes... I'm excited for you!

Peace and Love,
Night
xoxo

[Pomegranate]

Yes, just be yourself. Be genuine. Be kindly honest about your feelings. And remember family is like any other relationship, some work quite naturally, some are difficult, some you just want to stay away from. Be ready for anything. And like nightbird said, do let us know how it goes!