I love you, Sister Terry!!
The sister I never had until I was 44 years old turned 70 today, Dec. 19, 2024. She is beautiful, loving, passionate, a perfectionist like me, a devoted mother, and a grandmother-to-be. I found her and our 2 brothers, Crys and Robin — my three beloved full siblings — in June 2005.
They immediately changed my life.
Teresa Ann Workman Zoubovitch was barely 6 years old when our mother Betty, divorced from our father Bob when they conceived me in Huntington, West Virginia, gave birth to me Feb. 28, 1961, and placed me for adoption. Terry didn’t even know Betty was pregnant — or heck, even know anything about how babies were made — so she was oblivious to the whole difficult, painful situation.
Since the subject of me never came up again because our brothers had been led to believe I’d died in childbirth, Terry was stunned to learn she had a third brother when I “arrived” 19 years ago.
We tragically lost Robin at 61 in 2009, but our sibling connection has been strong from the moment I found the three of them. Despite our age differences — they are 17, 14 and 6 years older than me — we have been graced with an unbreakable blood bond that has never waned.
I grew up with a wonderful adoptive brother, Isaac; I have an awesome family with Kay and our two young adult children; and I am exceedingly blessed to have found and built a strong foundational relationship with my biological family. Many adoptees are not so fortunate.
The moment I saw pictures of Terry and our mother, my heart leapt with joy and love: I looked like both of them. Having grown up in a family with a diminutive mother from Panama and not looking like anyone — and also not learning I was adopted until I was in college at Texas A&M — I always cherish every photo I see of Betty and Terry, and every chance I get to see my sister.
Another opportunity to see Sis and our brother Crys comes next week, when Kay, the kids and I will drive to the Denver area to visit them for Christmas. I haven’t seen Terry and Crys since last February, when I went up for Crys’s and my shared birthday. Crys will be 81 on Feb. 28, when I’ll turn 64. I can’t wait to see them again and wrap them in a bunch of looooong hugs!!
Happy birthday, Big Sister! Love you always! ❤️😊
A Life of Words 
Hi, Frank!
Wow! I simply cannot fully describe the joy- and frankly the full range of emotions- that touch my heart through your “A Life of Words” essays.
As I was working tonight to catch up with the essays I’ve missed, I now could keep reading them forever. Because you write with meaning. And always have.
Your families- birth, adoptive and the one you and Kay created!- carry such great importance in your life. Something with which I strongly identify. And through your devotion to sharing with all of us how you came to know your birth family and wonderful siblings, we, too, can feel that sense of added belonging that you have experienced in your life. And that you continue to experience!
Bottom line: You enrich our lives through your inclusion of us your friends and readers through your journey to know, love and cherish your family.
Through all this- and so much more- your writings in essence make us all family.
How lucky are we! And how lucky am I!
Please keep on writing. And experiencing. And sharing. And writing some more!
Sending much love to you and Kay as we lurch headlong into the holidays!
🎄💕Cathy
Cathy L. Welty Photographer Wo:Ya : Storytelling through Photography
(972) 310-2837 mobile
cathylwelty@gmail.com
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Dearest Cathy,
Somehow even though I’ve been writing these blogs for over 5 years, I haven’t mastered the ability to see all the comments/responses that come through. So your wonderful note totally slipped past me. I am so very, very sorry. What a sweet, heartfelt message you took the time to send me — I’m so thankful for you! To know how much of an impact my writing has had on you, and just to know that you have taken the time to read what I’ve written, really means so much. I appreciate that YOU have appreciated how much having my birth siblings in my life has meant to me. I haven’t always been all that close to my adoptive brother Isaac, and as you’ve read, we had a very difficult upbringing because of our mother’s drinking/abuse and related problems. So having my biological family become part of my world has really been a godsend. I just wish it had happened many years earlier, which, for one thing, would’ve given me a chance to meet and get to know our mother Betty.
Again, I am touched by your thoughtfulness and love, Cathy. I know we met briefly back in 2017 during the open house when 508 Young St. was closing its doors and we were moving to the new DMN offices on Commerce (and of course, I’ve moved on to UTSW). But I hope our paths will cross again sometime, somewhere other than Facebook and here! Thank you for your friendship and kindness. Maybe we can get together for lunch sometime! 🙂
Sending you hugs … take care!
Frank Christlieb
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