Today marks what would have been JP’s 76th birthday. I only learned about him two weeks ago, and it wasn’t until yesterday that I discovered he passed away in 2009. For the first time in 76 years, his eight siblings are able to remember him as the child born on this day, June 27, 1948, even though, tragically, most of them never had the chance to meet him or were aware that he had left this world. It seems that JP spent much of his life in long-term care.

What began as a search for a woman’s birth parents and possibly one older brother unexpectedly unfolded into a story of nine siblings. Their parents, unfortunately, lacked the resources to care for them, leading to a situation where the children were removed one by one. Some of the siblings were adopted, while others remained in the foster system for nearly 30 years. The first seven siblings were able to find one another, thanks to the incredible efforts of their talented birth cousin, a family genealogist. I am honored to have found the last sibling to complete this family puzzle.

I may share more about this extraordinary journey in the future, but today, we celebrate JP. While we may not know the location of his final resting place, we take comfort in the belief that he is at peace, watching over his eight siblings until the day they can all reunite. Rest in peace, JP.