After receiving the call that my son was willing to have contact with me, the agency suggested we exchange letters and pictures before meeting in person. In my letter, I expressed my regret and sorrow, offered my love and asked him to forgive me. Jim’s letter expressed his feeling honestly, stressing the commitment his family had made to him and questioning why I had waited so long to search for him. As you can imagine, we were both in great turmoil, as we made plans to meet in person.
I went to my home town of Bellingham and rented a car to drive to meet him in Everett, about an hour away. He chose a restaurant for our first meeting and I was grateful for this because I felt I was less likely to break down in public.
Then a stunning thing happened: As I was about a half hour away from the designated meeting spot, I saw a huge board falling off of a truck in front of me, heading toward me at great speed. For just a moment, I thought I was about to be decapitated, but at the last minute, the board veered and sliced through my tire, destroying it. I managed to get off on the shoulder of the road and broke down in sobs as I realized I was going to miss the most important meeting of my life. This was in 1999 before I had a cell phone, so I had no way to contact Jim. The thought that I just wouldn’t show up and he would have no way to know what happened, was unbearable. I got out of the car and stared hopefully at each passing car, but no one paid the slightest attention to me. Finally, I decided my only option was to hitch hike! I put out my thumb, but still people went speeding by without the least bit of concern for this obviously stranded middle aged woman. Finally, a car pulled over and a young woman with two little ones in her back seat asked if she could help me. I was hysterical at this point, crying loudly, and I told her what had happened and why it was so important for me to get to Everett. She calmly said she would take me there. As we drove, I thanked her over and over again and told her I would even be a little early, because I had allowed extra time to buy a gift for the grandson I was about to meet for the first time. Though the shopping time had evaporated, I would be on time to meet my son. When we pulled up into the restaurant lot, this wonderful woman told me she had just been to the toy store to buy toys for her children and she opened her trunk and told me to help myself to anything I wanted! Her trunk was full of all sorts of toys, so I chose a gift, for which she refused payment. Unfortunately, I was so excited and overwhelmed that I forgot to get her contact information, so I have never been able to properly thank her for her kindness.
Since I arrived a few minutes early, I went into the convenience store near the restaurant to freshen up, and there, standing right in front of me was my son, my unmistakable son, well over six feet, like most of the men in my father’s family, and unmistakably a Borman! He recognized me from my photos and extended his arms, taking me into a huge, warm, loving hug... reunited at last!
to be continued....
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