Angie in T.O.: FRIEND TO FAMILY

Monday, June 19, 2017

FRIEND TO FAMILY

Andi and I at Disney World in 2014.

In February of 2012, Rob and I went on an organized bird outing with a group. A friend of Rob's was coming, Dave, and his other half, Andi. (Rob and Dave had met a few months earlier through birding and became friends). I honestly can't remember if I had met Dave before that cold and windy February day.

I didn't realize it at the time, but all of us going on this trip together was a set-up. Dave brought Andi along that day because he wanted to see if Andi and I would hit it off. We did, I remember the both of us chatting away on the bus, and before the day was over we already had future plans for all of us to get together again.

Andi and I have been girlfriends since that day. We've celebrated our birthdays together for the last 5 years, we went to Disney World together in 2014. and have gone on a few girlfriends weekends over the years. We see each other quite regularly through-out the year, what I didn't realize until quite recently was that I was hanging out with family!

First birthday celebration together, June 2013

Andi got suspicious about us being related this past Easter, after reading one of my blogs, where I mentioned my Mother's maiden name, Levy. I knew Andi's family was from Nova Scotia, I didn't know she was related to the Levy clan. She had her Mom look into it a bit more. She gave me the info she had during our birthday celebration, and I sent it to my Aunt Charlotte to look into a bit more and confirm.

Yup, we're 4th cousins twice removed, or something like that, I stopped listening after I heard the word "Cousins". We're related through my Grandfather Levy's chain of the family, I have a copy of the family tree and can follow it right to Andi and I.

I'm not going to lie, this discovery is really special to me. My Mother passed away one month before I met Andi, and finding out that she is a connection to my Mother's family, my family, no matter how far back is really special. For well over 20 years I have always said that I have no blood relations in Toronto, I can't say that now. Andi and I do share the same bloodline, and mutual family history, and that is very cool!