PonderingThings
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http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/13904436.htm
Plane delivers brother for 58-year-old to meet
Sister gleefully greets sibling she learned of only weeks ago
By Jewell Cardwell
Those ``Little Sister'' and ``Big Brother'' sweat shirts and T-shirts don't usually come in sizes larger than a children's 6X.
But Anita Post, in her absolute glee after finding out she has a big brother, found a way around that.
The 58-year-old Medina woman purchased a couple of adult-size, charcoal-gray sweaters and proclaimed the good news in red embroidery.
She wore hers over the body brace that counters her post-polio symptoms when she went to Akron-Canton Airport on Thursday to greet her 71-year-old half brother, who was flying in from Boston to meet her for the first time.
Flanked by her husband, Harvey, Anita Post toted a ``We are looking for Larry and Harriet. Larry is my long lost brother. Welcome'' sign that drew smiles and many words of encouragement from travelers.
After she had a long wait staring down a distant hallway, AirTran Flight 215 finally arrived, delivering to her the best present ever.
Their eyes locked immediately on their unmistakable family resemblance.
Their embrace was strong and long -- neither wanting to abandon that emotional, first-time-ever-I-saw-your-face moment.
Larry Malamut, her half brother, spoke first. ``I knew you were a Roseman,'' he said, referring to the late father they have in common.
It would be a while before his half sister's words were audible again. Yet, her smiles spoke volumes as her husband ushered his new and only brother-in-law into his gray sweater.
Again, the Big Brother and his Little Sister -- capturing the attention of an ever-growing, curious crowd -- clung to each other.
``She's been a bundle of nerves,'' Harvey Post said of his wife of almost 35 years. ``She thought she was an only child all these years.
Anita Post -- who had been a preschool teacher for 12 years at the Akron Jewish Center -- had earlier opened the book on their story.
``My friend Barbara Baskin from Akron was in Coconut Creek, Fla., visiting ex-Akronite Judy Manes when they found themselves in a restaurant in Delray Beach,'' Post said.
``While they were waiting in line, a couple ahead of them inquired where they were from. When they said Akron, Ohio, the woman asked if they ever knew of a Anita Roseman, my maiden name...
``When Judy responded that I was a very close friend, she said the woman, Ruth Jacobs, started crying, explaining that my father was her brother.''
To make a long story short, the foursome ended up sharing a table and calling Anita on a cell phone.
``I thought Judy was joking when she said `I'm talking to your aunt,' '' Post recalled. ``I said I don't have any aunts. She said, `It's your father's sister.' ''
Anita Post never knew anything about her father or his family.
Her late mother, Ida Roseman, never spoke of her estranged husband or his family. ``All I knew is that they were divorced when I was a baby and she would always get upset when I would ask questions. So I stopped asking questions,'' Post said. ``I've never even seen a picture of him.''
``I knew him as Jack Roseman. And Larry and the rest of the family knew him as Sam Roseman.''
Larry -- whose mother remarried after divorcing Sam -- took his stepfather's last name.
It's probably a safe bet that these two self-professed ``late birds'' will talk long hours this weekend, filling in the missing pieces.
They already know they have sentimentality in common, as evidenced by the bookend sweaters she purchased and the big bouquet of flowers he sent her for Valentine's Day.
Each has two grown daughters.
In the three weeks since learning about each other, Post and Malamut had not exchanged photos. So each had no idea what the other looked like.
``He said he was 5-foot-8, bald with a beard,'' Anita Post said.
``I just told him I was chubby with dark hair and not to expect Christie Brinkley.''
Larry -- unlike his half sister -- always had a relationship with his father's family.
Now, she will too.
Plans are in the works for a family reunion this spring in Florida, where Anita Post can get acquainted with three remaining aunts, one uncle, 55 cousins and a throng of other relatives -- a warm assembly of kinfolk whose desire is to make the unfamiliar familiar.
Larry, who is a retired salesman of shoes and real estate, is a five-year cancer survivor.
Harriet -- his wife of 46 years -- marveled at the ``bashert,'' a Yiddish word for destiny or fate.
``Aunt Ruth (Jacobs) said they always have lunch somewhere else, but the parking lot was full.
``So, they decided to try a new restaurant that day.''
It's a good thing.
Otherwise, they might never have known what really awaited them on life's amazing menu.
Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or [email protected]
Plane delivers brother for 58-year-old to meet
Sister gleefully greets sibling she learned of only weeks ago
By Jewell Cardwell
Those ``Little Sister'' and ``Big Brother'' sweat shirts and T-shirts don't usually come in sizes larger than a children's 6X.
But Anita Post, in her absolute glee after finding out she has a big brother, found a way around that.
The 58-year-old Medina woman purchased a couple of adult-size, charcoal-gray sweaters and proclaimed the good news in red embroidery.
She wore hers over the body brace that counters her post-polio symptoms when she went to Akron-Canton Airport on Thursday to greet her 71-year-old half brother, who was flying in from Boston to meet her for the first time.
Flanked by her husband, Harvey, Anita Post toted a ``We are looking for Larry and Harriet. Larry is my long lost brother. Welcome'' sign that drew smiles and many words of encouragement from travelers.
After she had a long wait staring down a distant hallway, AirTran Flight 215 finally arrived, delivering to her the best present ever.
Their eyes locked immediately on their unmistakable family resemblance.
Their embrace was strong and long -- neither wanting to abandon that emotional, first-time-ever-I-saw-your-face moment.
Larry Malamut, her half brother, spoke first. ``I knew you were a Roseman,'' he said, referring to the late father they have in common.
It would be a while before his half sister's words were audible again. Yet, her smiles spoke volumes as her husband ushered his new and only brother-in-law into his gray sweater.
Again, the Big Brother and his Little Sister -- capturing the attention of an ever-growing, curious crowd -- clung to each other.
``She's been a bundle of nerves,'' Harvey Post said of his wife of almost 35 years. ``She thought she was an only child all these years.
Anita Post -- who had been a preschool teacher for 12 years at the Akron Jewish Center -- had earlier opened the book on their story.
``My friend Barbara Baskin from Akron was in Coconut Creek, Fla., visiting ex-Akronite Judy Manes when they found themselves in a restaurant in Delray Beach,'' Post said.
``While they were waiting in line, a couple ahead of them inquired where they were from. When they said Akron, Ohio, the woman asked if they ever knew of a Anita Roseman, my maiden name...
``When Judy responded that I was a very close friend, she said the woman, Ruth Jacobs, started crying, explaining that my father was her brother.''
To make a long story short, the foursome ended up sharing a table and calling Anita on a cell phone.
``I thought Judy was joking when she said `I'm talking to your aunt,' '' Post recalled. ``I said I don't have any aunts. She said, `It's your father's sister.' ''
Anita Post never knew anything about her father or his family.
Her late mother, Ida Roseman, never spoke of her estranged husband or his family. ``All I knew is that they were divorced when I was a baby and she would always get upset when I would ask questions. So I stopped asking questions,'' Post said. ``I've never even seen a picture of him.''
``I knew him as Jack Roseman. And Larry and the rest of the family knew him as Sam Roseman.''
Larry -- whose mother remarried after divorcing Sam -- took his stepfather's last name.
It's probably a safe bet that these two self-professed ``late birds'' will talk long hours this weekend, filling in the missing pieces.
They already know they have sentimentality in common, as evidenced by the bookend sweaters she purchased and the big bouquet of flowers he sent her for Valentine's Day.
Each has two grown daughters.
In the three weeks since learning about each other, Post and Malamut had not exchanged photos. So each had no idea what the other looked like.
``He said he was 5-foot-8, bald with a beard,'' Anita Post said.
``I just told him I was chubby with dark hair and not to expect Christie Brinkley.''
Larry -- unlike his half sister -- always had a relationship with his father's family.
Now, she will too.
Plans are in the works for a family reunion this spring in Florida, where Anita Post can get acquainted with three remaining aunts, one uncle, 55 cousins and a throng of other relatives -- a warm assembly of kinfolk whose desire is to make the unfamiliar familiar.
Larry, who is a retired salesman of shoes and real estate, is a five-year cancer survivor.
Harriet -- his wife of 46 years -- marveled at the ``bashert,'' a Yiddish word for destiny or fate.
``Aunt Ruth (Jacobs) said they always have lunch somewhere else, but the parking lot was full.
``So, they decided to try a new restaurant that day.''
It's a good thing.
Otherwise, they might never have known what really awaited them on life's amazing menu.
Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or [email protected]
