Emerging Courageous Online Magazine - Stories

What is the Bridge Today? © 2003 by Julie Jordan Scott

For the last few days I have been starting my day with the simple question:  "What bridge are we working on today?"

I have a long history with my Creator and Bridge building.  Every once and a while, I get a huge reminder.

You see, on Saturday night I was confused.  I thought I had insomnia.

What was really happening was I was supposed to be doing my bridge thing, but I had somehow forgotten that being a bridge is about more than what is visible to the eye.

In fact, most of being a bridge is about listening and following the leading of your heart even when you have no idea where it is going.  You learn to trust the inklings as they come.

Last Fall I wrote a poem: not highly unusual for me as "Poetess" is one of those "roles" I wear on a regular basis.

This poem was different, though.  Its subject was private.  Not a topic I bring up very often and in fact, the topic felt distant to me.

I was writing about a lost relationship.

I thought, "How interesting.  My niece.  My sister's daughter.  I'll hold onto this one, not sure what is up with it, so I will just wait and see."

The Bridge building was beginning.  I just didn't know it at the time.

I go to Open Mic night at least once a month.

In January I didn't have much new material so I pulled out the several months old poem and decided I would read it.

I stood at the podium and said into the microphone.  "This is a really personal piece about my niece.  My sister relinquished her for adoption more than 22 years ago."

Taking a breath, I started reading:

I Want Her to Know © 2002 by Julie Jordan Scott

"Wherever my niece is today
I want her to feel my presence
Sending love to her

And letting her know
That for more than 22 years now
I have been willing her
To come see her Mom again

I would like to see her, touch her
And look into her soul
So I can learn about the
Woman she has become and
Listen for the echoes
Of our family tree

Wherever my niece is today
I want her to know
That I love her"

Stepping back from the podium as the audience applauded, I wiped away a tear and caught my breath.

I knew then the poem needed to be sent to my sister.

I was nervous because I didn't want to upset my sister.  I even sent a note to my mother with the poem enclosed, asking her if I should send a copy to my sister.  Eventually, I  sent my sister's copy
without hearing back from my mother.

When I called my sister to warn her it was on its way, it had already arrived.

She was grateful, quiet, and I felt glad that I had followed that inkling.

What I didn't know was that at around the time I was writing my poem, there was a young woman less than five hundred miles from me searching for her "birth family".

A divine blessing was beginning to come to fruition.

The beautiful little girl I had written about was indeed feeling my presence, or perhaps I was responding to her call. 

So as she searched, I wrote and read and sent and confirmed.

On Saturday night I thought I had insomnia, so I decided to search for some old friends of mine while I was online.

As the voices from Saturday Night Live droned on behind me, I found one possible lead for a former friend in the publishing industry.

I found a phone number for a dear college friend.

And then for some unknown reason, I plugged my sister's name into that amazingly connective and heavenly sent search engine also known as Google.

Like a draw bridge, the two sides started to lower as soon as I hit "Google Search".

I was astonished to see "Searching for Birth Family" with my niece's originally given name, birth date and the birth mother identified as my sister.

I had found my niece. 

Sunday morning I waited until the "good manners" time of 9 am.  I called my mother to tell her what I had found and to let her know I wanted her to "be there" when I called my sister.

Through three way calling, we built a 500 mile bridge.

We were all in tears as I shared my story quickly with as many details as I could so that my sister could follow my path to her daughter.

Within 28 more hours, the bridge clicked into place completely.

My now grown, very wise niece wrote to my sister requesting confirming information.

They spoke via telephone for three hours.

They live within 70 miles of each other.

This coming Sunday, my sister and her husband and all four of her children will share a meal together for the first time ever.

Today, remarkably enough, is the first time I was ever able to send my niece a birthday greeting.  She was born 23 years ago today.

Bridge builders in the truest sense learn, as I am starting to, that once you start being that bridge, open your arms to the next application.  And the next. And the next.

Sitting here in my chair in the heat of Bakersfield, I am asking my Creator again:
"What bridge are we working on today?"

*****
Julie Jordan Scott is a Personal Success Coach who is dedicated to creating Heaven on Earth through inspiring people to Discover their Passion so that they can live a life of their choosing.
Visit http://www.5passions.com for free resources for YOUR success
Contact Julie now to bring YOUR vision to life today. email mailto:[email protected]
To request your complimentary coaching session, complete this simple form:
http://www.5passions.com/coachingreqform.html

******

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