Branches Part 8: Hey Sis!

Tracey welcomes her sister, Michelle (aka Sister Number Two), to the podcast to share their extraordinary journey of finding each other through DNA testing and how they've built a meaningful family bond in just one year.

• Michelle explains how her son Aaron, received a message about potential relatives that led to their family discovery
• The sisters describe their first in-person meeting at an airport in Florida and the immediate connection they felt
• Both share how their children and extended families have embraced each other like they've known each other forever
• They discuss the emotional complexities of discovering siblings later in life, including grief over lost time
• Tracey and Michelle talk about the challenges of finding yet another sibling and how they're processing these ongoing revelations
• The sisters emphasize the importance of giving each other space and grace throughout their DNA journey
• They share how they've integrated each other into their lives through weekly sister calls, text threads, and family gatherings

Sign up for the wait list for Tracey's first group retreat to Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand, October 22-30, 2026, through her new travel business, Graced and Grounded Journeys.  

Join the waitlist for the Soulful Escape to Thailand on October 22nd-30th 2026 ➡️Soulful Escape to Thailand

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Season Nine
• 2:43 Introducing Sister Number Two
• 7:10 Aaron's Call That Changed Everything
• 17:44 First Meeting at the Airport
• 27:20 The Instant Bond Between Cousins
• 36:54 The Emotional Journey of Discovery
• 46:35 Navigating DNA Revelations and Boundaries

Transcript

Intro: 0:00

Come take a seat on the couch. Welcome as we talk about everything under the sun. You only live once, so I live right in power with life. Welcome to the Charging Station, no matter what you're fixing.

Tracey: 0:15

You can join the conversation, just be at the Charging Station. What's good everybody? Welcome to the Charging Station Podcast. It's your girl, Tracey Massey, of Living My EmPOWERed Life. Hey boo, hey boo. Hey boo, hey boo.

Tracey: 0:33

Welcome to season nine. Can you believe it? Oh my gosh, I've missed y'all. I've missed y'all so much, but I needed a break. I need a break. You know your girl has been out here living and enjoying life.

Tracey: 0:45

I'm gonna give you a couple updates, right, quick. But first of all, welcome to all of our new listeners. You can be listening to anything anywhere, but thank you for lending me your ear for these few moments. You're a returning listener, hey boo. You know I love me some you.

Tracey: 0:58

I need everybody to go ahead and click that follow button, that subscribe button. Wherever you're listening to, whatever platform this is on, make sure you are subscribed to us. Also, follow me on all of the socials at Living my Empowered Life. But y'all guess what, guess what? We got an Instagram page for the podcast too, so you can follow us on the Charging Station podcast. I haven't done any other social media for that, because I just can't, because I launched a new business. Y'all Mm media for that, because I just can't, because I launched a new business, y'all. Yeah, the girl got her hand in a whole lot of stuff.

Tracey: 1:30

So, graced and grounded journeys is my new venture. It's my travel business. And, um, before you get excited, no, I'm not booking individual travel. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. But what I am doing are group retreats, so it is incorporated into my Living, my Empowered Life, business. And our first retreat is coming up in October 2026, at least at the time of the recording on this podcast, because you could be listening to this like five years from now. But our first group retreat is happening to Phuket and Bangkok, thailand, october 22nd through the 30th of 2026. And I cannot wait for you to be a part of it. I'm going to link the wait list on the show in the show notes, so go ahead and sign up for that. You will get all of the details.

Tracey: 2:18

I got some powerful emails that are coming out just describing it. It's going to be so lovely, you don't want to miss so lovely, you don't want to miss it. You don't want to miss it. Y'all know I'm bougie, you know how I do. It's going to be fabulous because when I say that the itinerary is chef's kiss, I mean it, I mean it. So, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Enough of all that, because I'm so excited about this episode.

Tracey: 2:41

We are kicking off season nine with a bang. So y'all know, you know, if you followed the series Branches, where I was talking about my DNA journey, finding my siblings, finding sister number one, you got to hear her on a couple episodes back. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go back and listen. Especially if you're new, go back and listen to the Branches series. This is a continuation of Bran branches, because today I have a very special guest, a very special guest my big sister, sister number two. She's here. Hey, big sister, hey, I'm so giddy, y'all, I'm so giddy, I'm so giddy, y'all, I'm so giddy, I'm so giddy. My sister Michelle. You guys know her as sister number two.

Michelle: 3:29

Sister number two. She is here.

Tracey: 3:31

We're having a sister weekend. My sister Robin will be here on Sunday, but we have had such an adventure and you know it only took Michelle five score in 17 years to. That's the running joke, y'all the running joke. I say that because Michelle is more like me than I realize and like we're very. Who are you? Who sent you? Why do?

Michelle: 4:04

you want to know this.

Tracey: 4:08

So we're very much like that and we have our sister, robin, who's on the other end is like open book, telling everything, and me and Michelle are like the FBI and CIA over here. So we are the dynamic duo when it comes to. Yeah, you can't sit with us right now until we get to know you, but I am so happy to have you here, sis.

Michelle: 4:27

I am happy to be here, sis. Welcome to the Queen City. Thank you, I love it. I love it.

Tracey: 4:35

I love it. Y'all don't understand. It's so funny to be united with my sisters. I can't say reunited, because we didn't know each other existed, but being united with my sisters, like it's only been a year. But every person that has encountered us they always ask us y'all sure you didn't grow up together? We're like no, we just. We literally just met and it's just been such a great bond.

Tracey: 5:03

I said this before on a few episodes they really do big sister me yes, we do and I have taken the role of the annoying little sister very seriously it's fun, it's so fun. But yeah, it's been a lot of of adjustments and getting used to things because now I have to think about them. You know I'm so used to getting up and going and just not telling. You know I'll let people know what I'm doing, but it's just like, yeah, they call one day and I'm like I'm in Atlanta and Michelle's the first one to say did I know about this?

Tracey: 5:37

I'm like nope, I'm surprised they hadn't said I need to put Life 360 on my phone that I'm surprised they hadn't said I need to put Life360 on my phone.

Michelle: 5:46

That's an idea. No, no, no, no, no no no, we shall see, we shall see.

Tracey: 5:53

But I could not have asked for better big sisters, and I'm so thankful for I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry.

Michelle: 6:00

Don't, please don't.

Tracey: 6:01

I am so thankful to God for bringing us together and, even though it's been hard, the way that things have been revealed. You know and we'll talk about this in the episode because I want to get your take on it, but we've had private conversations about it though. So, whatever you feel comfortable sharing, just you know to share it. But people over here know you know we talk Right, you know this is family. So everybody go ahead sharing. Just you know, just share it. But people over here know you know we talk. Right, you know this is family so everybody.

Tracey: 6:26

Go ahead, grab your coffee, grab your tea, grab your water, grab your wine, whatever your beverage. Your choice is. Go ahead, grab that thing and have a seat on the couch, couch, couch, so sit. Take us to the day I wish this was video, your guys. Take us to the day when my favorite Aaron, aaron is Michelle's oldest son, my nephew. I call him my favorite Aaron. If it wasn't for Aaron, we wouldn't know that Michelle was out here.

Michelle: 7:09

So take us to the day that Aaron said hey, mom got something to tell you. You tell us what he said and what you said.

Michelle: 7:13

Well, I may not be able to say exactly what I said, but no, it wasn't that bad. Um, as Tracy said, I am that person that needs to know who, what, when, where and why. Well, when Aaron called me, he said Mom, was it a text? I think it was. I received a call I think was it a call or a text A message Okay, that you may have two sisters. I was like what, what do you mean? I have two sisters. I was like what, what do you mean?

Tracey: 7:48

I have two sisters.

Michelle: 7:51

So he told me about the message that he received, and it took a minute for me to digest what he was saying. And he said well, mom, you don't have to commit to anything, right? They just want to talk to you. So I said, okay, well, let me think about this. You know so much going on, right, people scamming, and you know, so I'm like like I don't know about this, aaron.

Michelle: 8:27

My son has a way your nephew has a way of persuading people he should be a life coach actually. So we kept, we continued to talk about it and I said, okay, I'll have a conversation. So, according to Robin, if you let her tell it, Listen, y'all think I'm extra. Mm-mm. So we had that conversation and Robin asked me about our father and I told Robin I don't have anything to tell you which I don't um and um, I think I was on my way.

Michelle: 9:11

If I can remember correctly, I was on my way to graduation, yeah yes, yes, yes so she asked me if she could give me a call back if she found out any more information. I said, sure, you can give me a call. So after that um, I'm trying to remember all this, forgive me. So after that thing, she called me. No, I called her, right. I returned her call, okay.

Tracey: 9:34

I returned her call. That was after, um, I had gone to Florida to visit her. So it's like the next day, the day after I got to got home, you had called her, okay, and um, she called me after you guys had talked.

Michelle: 9:52

So I was just sitting on like I had to sit on the stairs of my townhouse because I was like, oh my god, this is really happening and I really don't think she thought I would call her, because I did take a little minute, not, there was just so much going on, right, right, it was just so much going on. And again I had to digest all of this.

Tracey: 10:12

And just even though we I joke about how long it took, because I'm a jokester- yes, and it wasn't as long as she said, it was only 17 years.

Tracey: 10:23

That's it. But it was just, you know, understanding that, yes, it is a lot to take in, it's a lot to digest, Because, even with the information that Robin and I had gathered, like it sent me into a spiral, Like what is this? And so I had to learn to give space and grace, not only to myself but to my siblings as we find them, because it is a lot Like none of us knew this man, Like none of us had a relationship with him and he's still pretty much a mystery. But to know that you have other siblings out there and then all of a sudden they're here like live and in technicolor, Like what do you do with this? So it is a lot to digest and it's a lot to maneuver emotionally, Like I've been calling it an emotional tornado, because that's exactly what it feels like.

Tracey: 11:17

Like you have all of the highs and the lows and some days it just feels like you're spinning, spinning, spinning. Thank God it has slowed down a tad bit now.

Tracey: 11:23

Yes you're spinning, spinning, spinning. Thank god it has slowed down a tad bit now, yes, but with every email that I get, like because you still, I still get um matches from the dna. So for the record y'all, michelle has not taken the dna test. We actually don't need her to because we, thanks to aaron, we know that we're siblings. But um, robin and I are, in, we took the dna test, so we still get matches every once in a while. So even when I get a match, an email like I got an email the other day that somebody reached out and I'm scared to open it because I'm like, who is this? Like, is this a sibling? I'm scared to open it. But yeah, totally get why you took your time with it and I'm glad that you did.

Michelle: 12:05

Yes, yeah, I had to. I had to, like I said, there's just so much going on and I explained all this to Robin. No, I explained all this to Aaron and he understood. But again, this young man has a way of. He does. Yeah, so I'm glad I did make the call. I'm really glad I did make the call and I'm not going to get emotional, yeah no, no, no, we got all weekend to do that. Right, and it's been phenomenal ever since, you know, ever since. And the way that we just gelled yes.

Michelle: 12:48

You know, it's like we've known each other all of our lives, and it's a beautiful thing it is, it's a beautiful thing.

Tracey: 12:56

Like our very first call, like, I think, when we were on the phone for maybe two hours it was a long time when all three of us were able to get on the call and we were just cackling, laughing and it was just like okay we silly y'all you're so silly and then just finding out even more similarities.

Tracey: 13:12

First of all, all three of us look alike like I can't wait for my friends to meet you because they some of them have had the opportunity to meet robin, right, and they were doing like we always get that back and forth, like people look at you. Even when we went to DC, robin and I went to DC for the fourth to visit Michelle and to meet her family and friends, and you can see everybody looking at her and looking at me and looking at Robin, and all of them were like okay, y'all Checking everything out.

Tracey: 13:50

It's the funniest thing. They're like yeah, you all look alike. Yeah, we do so. I can't wait for my friends to see it, because that's that's the funniest part for me but just the, the bond that we have absolutely it's for lack of a better word is weird, and weird in a good way, in a good way.

Michelle: 14:02

In a good way.

Tracey: 14:03

Because I feel like people who have grown up with their siblings all their lives, their bonds may be a little different, exactly.

Michelle: 14:13

And.

Tracey: 14:13

I know that it's a blessing. I really feel like this is a blessing because I know that my sisters have my back and I have my sisters' backs, absolutely.

Michelle: 14:22

I will cut somebody to the white meat.

Tracey: 14:23

Okay, over y'all All right. Hey, I have my sisters' backs. Absolutely, I would cut somebody to the white meat.

Michelle: 14:25

Okay, over y'all.

Tracey: 14:25

All right, hey, I grew up in the South, but I'm still from Southeast DC. Okay, Act up, you won't get snatched up, okay, but yeah. So once you got off the call with Robin, what was that like? I don't think I've asked you that question. What?

Michelle: 14:40

was that like? Once I got off of the call with Robin, again there was silence and then I had to talk to self for a minute? I just had to.

Michelle: 14:57

I don't know, I don't know what. I just had to absorb it all and take it in and to um, it still took me a minute. And but after talking to robin and that's when robin said well, do you mind if I add tracy to the call or add tracy to the text? I think we were texting I was like, absolutely. But after conversing with the two of you all and saw the way that we gelled, it was just a natural feeling. There was nothing fake about it. And that's when I started to turn things around.

Tracey: 15:38

And we developed a beautiful sister call that we have every week.

Michelle: 15:41

Every week.

Tracey: 15:43

We have a whole text thread. We call each other I know on Saturdays, well, I'm going to find my big sister, she's going to be at the farmer's market thread. We call each other, like I know on Saturdays where I'm gonna find my big sister, she's gonna be at the farmer's market. So it's just like you know finding out those kind of things. We went to um Florida for um Robin's birthday to celebrate her birthday oh my god, that was the highlight of it all.

Tracey: 16:05

Yes, that was the highlight of it all, because it was just amazing to have the nieces and the nephews to meet and everybody just gelled.

Michelle: 16:17

Even her friends. I mean, they just made us feel like we were all family. It wasn't like well, no, y'all just finding you, all are just finding out your sister. No, everybody just came together and they I think they were more elated to see us.

Tracey: 16:34

Yeah, because then it was like real.

Michelle: 16:37

Right, they were like everybody was saying we didn't have names.

Tracey: 16:39

It was like are you the sisters Right?

Michelle: 16:47

Like, yes, we're there, yeah, we're real. I mean that was the pinnacle of it all. I mean that really sealed any gaps. For me anyway, and for you all to know, it was a challenge for me to get to that party.

Tracey: 17:01

See, I wasn't going to say anything. Yeah, you can say it, it's okay. I wasn't going to say anything, but since we're there, it's quite all right. Since we're there, it's quite all right Since we're there. It was a challenge, but I made it, you made it and I am so glad that. I did Because I had to pull a little sister card.

Michelle: 17:18

Yes, she did, I did.

Tracey: 17:19

You don't want your little sister.

Michelle: 17:20

Throw a little guilt in there.

Tracey: 17:23

I did, I did. It worked. It worked, it did Because I said you don't want your little sister to be there and then see you know all of this going on and my big sister isn't there, like I would be so sad I would cry. I was like I was trying to squeeze out tears at that moment. It didn't work, but I was like, but seriously, but then I said you know what? I really want you to be there, but if you can't, be there.

Michelle: 17:56

I understand, and I meant that I was still. I was gonna be sad because I wanted you there.

Tracey: 18:00

We have to tell the reason why. Okay, so a few weeks, that was right after that plane crash, right after the plane crash that crashed at dca. Yes, um, and you don't live far from no, it happened.

Tracey: 18:08

So it was totally understandable why you had some apprehension. And I will be honest with you, when I came to DC because this must be trauma brain, because I forgot about the tragedy that happened until we landed, when we came to DC to landed, when we came to DC to visit, when we landed, I thought about like oh crap, like oh, it happened here. And I think sometimes I think God just protects me in that kind of way because I probably would have, y'all would have had to come pick me up from BWI.

Michelle: 18:46

We would have, I would have totally understood, I know. But would have, I would have totally understood, I know.

Tracey: 18:50

But yeah, that's why I totally understand the apprehension because it was right after that, and so it took some working, it took some praying and you know.

Michelle: 19:00

And then there were other crashes.

Tracey: 19:02

Yeah, it was like every week. And I would send them a picture, some kind of picture or story, or a story or something. Yes, Another one and I was like stop watching the news I was like oh God, she's not coming. She's not coming, lord, she's not coming. But totally understand it. I mean, it was a wild ride Like that time.

Michelle: 19:23

Yes.

Tracey: 19:24

You know it was wild, it was wild.

Michelle: 19:28

It was wild, but then you arrived in Florida Safely, and it was a time.

Tracey: 19:35

A time was had. What was so funny was my flight got delayed twice and I had to change planes, and so we were supposed to land right around the same time, and then my flight got pushed back, got pushed back and I'm like, okay, here we go. This is why I don't like doing afternoon flights, because this is happening all the time. But then I had to sit down and say, okay, God, well, God, you're protecting me from something. I'm still going to get there.

Tracey: 20:01

It's going to be fine, and when I got there there's a video on my socials I saw you guys you and Robin walking across the terminal. I'm like they don't even see me.

Michelle: 20:15

We were walking towards you. Actually, we were on a mission Exactly Because we sat at the other gate, which I think Aaron was coming in. No, no, who came first, did you I?

Tracey: 20:28

came, I came first, you came first, you, I came, I came first, you came first. Then aaron came in, but we were all supposed to land the same time, so aaron came in and then I came, but I think robin thought I was on another airline she thought you were coming through the same gate and then um realized oh wait, right, she's coming, all right, and you guys are on a mission.

Tracey: 20:45

so I'm like my little legs trying to run and catch y'all. I'm like excuse me. And then it was just like I started crying Because that was the first time I had seen you in person.

Michelle: 20:58

And I was like don't do it, don't do it. Yeah, we were standing, it was about to be a whole mess.

Tracey: 21:03

It was about to be a whole mess, but it was just so great to hug you in that moment. For me it was like a relief to hug you in person, because we had been on the phone, we had been on FaceTime by this time, we had started out, we had been sister calls and everything. But it was just like this is my sister. And what was that moment like for?

Michelle: 21:26

you Same, the same for me With both of you all. Like I said, we've talked on the phone, but just seeing each other in person, being able to embrace one another, it was phenomenal, yeah.

Tracey: 21:44

It was phenomenal and the giggles started from that moment on. It was on and popping after that it was on and popping. Now I had a moment when we got back to Robin's house. You did, I did, oh, okay.

Tracey: 21:55

I'm going to tell you what did it. When Aaron came out of that dining room, it took everything in me not to just crumble. Like I almost knocked him over, like I saw him, just like ran to him, I just like hugged him and then when I saw y'all had already told, like Robin had already told me, that okay, aaron looks like you. It didn't dawn on me that if Aaron looks like me, then Aaron looks like my daughter gotcha, because my daughter looks like me, right. So when I saw him I went and it was just like, oh my god. And so the reality of she's not here hit me and so I had to I don't know if you noticed, I kind of I scurried off, I didn't. It went outside because I was like I was really about to like crumble and I knew if I did that it was gonna be everybody was gonna crumble. So I had to like release it and you know know, kind of pull myself together.

Tracey: 22:48

But hugging Aaron, the catalyst for all of this, it was like yo, this is my nephew, and I've said this before, but I'm going to say it again, I'm going to say it to the cows come home. To actually be an aunt is like an amazing thing to me. Now, if my babies hear this, I'm still your TT. Okay, that's not going to change. That's not going to change. That's never going to change. I've always been TT. I've always been Auntie Tracy. But to hear it from my actual blood, that's different. That's different.

Tracey: 23:20

And when I tell you I love my nieces and nephews, like I've gotten the opportunity to smell their necks, because I love the smell of a baby's neck, that's the best smell ever. But it's just like wow. And Aaron and I had a moment when we were in DC. That boy, that man, I swear.

Tracey: 23:44

He's something, something else, he's something. But we were having a moment in the kitchen and I said he said Auntie Tracy, and I was like any time any of them say Auntie Tracy, I just look like oh, you talking to me Like oh, and I have to gather because it's like oh, that's my niece, that's my nephew, like for real, for real, Right.

Tracey: 24:09

And so I said, erin, is that weird for you to call me on Tracy? He's like no, see matter of fact. He said no, I said. He said why would it be weird? And I said, well, it's, you know, it's new. He said, but you're my aunt, like, just as a matter of fact, is that he's like you're my aunt? He's like I can't call you, miss Tracy, because no, he said I can't call you Tracy because that's so informal. He's was like you're my Aunt, tracy. And when he said that, that just affirmed me in such a way that I can't even explain.

Tracey: 24:32

I said hold on Erin, I got to gather. I got to gather because I was about to start crying.

Michelle: 24:36

The one good thing. He knew he had to put a handle on whatever he called you Raised well. Okay.

Tracey: 24:46

Raised. Well, okay, but even all of them, like even jazzy, said the same things. Because I asked all of them like it's not weird that you know, like no, you're mine and it's just. Like, okay, I'm the weirdo here then, because it's just and that's okay, it's okay, it takes getting used to. Yes, you know, and I um not to make this all about me, because I want you to talk too, but when we were at Robin's party and she had all of the cousins sitting together, and.

Tracey: 25:14

I looked over at you and I was like even before the party though yeah, yeah, yeah even before the yes.

Michelle: 25:25

Aaron will talk to anyone, he'll balance with anyone, but I mean all of them.

Tracey: 25:35

All of them.

Michelle: 25:36

All of them.

Tracey: 25:38

They were just like.

Michelle: 25:39

And I just sat back and I just watched.

Tracey: 25:41

Yes, and the fact that they have their own chats going on checking in on each other. It was like yo, this was amazing and even when we came to DC, like all of them didn't get to meet Jamari yet, but the way Jazz they just bonded.

Michelle: 26:01

And see like they just bonded. It was just so cool to see, that was just so awesome. I mean, we were sitting in the dining room in the living room and I just looked in the kitchen I was like wow, yeah, because that was their first time, jaz, and them first time meeting Jamari and my nephew, yeah. So I was like wow, this is awesome.

Tracey: 26:22

And it's like they've known each other all their lives. All their lives. They played in the sandbox together.

Michelle: 26:28

And I love it, I love it.

Tracey: 26:30

Yeah, I love that bond.

Michelle: 26:32

Yes, and I'm so glad and I think that's what I missed, like I told you guys and like we were talking earlier the way that God just brought this thing together. Yeah, because, again, my parents are deceased, your parents are deceased, robin's parents are deceased, and it's all in his time. Yeah, so it was something that he knew we needed, right? We?

Tracey: 27:06

needed.

Michelle: 27:07

You know, like Jamari said um to me, um, because I have no one, my immediate family is deceased. So he said um, mom, you're not alone anymore, you have two sisters. I melted, yeah, I melted, you know, and I was like you're absolutely right. So y'all are stuck with me now.

Tracey: 27:37

Oh, you're stuck with me too.

Michelle: 27:38

Absolutely, you all are stuck with me. Absolutely, yeah, so it's just amazing. It's amazing.

Tracey: 27:47

It's such a great thing to see and to spend time with Jamari, and you had already told us know like there's a big difference between Aaron and Jamari's more like his mom.

Tracey: 27:54

He has to sit back but you know what, jamari, when Jamari and I were sitting, we went to have brunch after church and Jamari and I were sitting beside each other. We kept looking at each other. I was like you ready to go? He was like, yeah, I was like ready to go too. And I said Jamari, jamari acts like me too, because I could see Jamari being the introvert and just kind of like Very observant, very observant.

Tracey: 28:24

Like you don't catch everything, Everything. And Robin I said Jamari said you're more like me and Aaron's more like Robin and I said I see the qualities like that. Absolutely me and Jamari could be sitting together and we won't say a word, but we gonna know everything that's going on cause we made something happen outside and we just gotta look at each other, cause we both caught it and was laughing.

Tracey: 28:47

And we came outside and you at each other, because we both caught it, it was laughing. And then we came outside and you know I was just robbing. Oh, we got to tell this story. We got to tell this story about the grocery store. Hold that thought, though, something when we came out of in DC. We came out for brunch, when we had brunch, and some lady we took our pictures and everything. And some lady was like, oh, we need to stand right there, like it's a good light. And I was like, want me to take your picture? And me and Jamari looked at each other. I was like Jamari, go to the car. He's like, come on, come on, because we knew we started moving.

Michelle: 29:17

Everybody else had to move too but I thought that was so funny. Yeah, yeah, so, at least like, even with that being said, just like we said they all collaborated in the kitchen. Oh yeah, so, oh yeah, it was just. I don't even know the right word for it, but just to see them a blessing for sure you know, and then we're bonding.

Tracey: 29:43

Exactly that was it but then they call it over what they call me the cool auntie. They call me over like auntie, they call me up like auntie, you want a shot? You want a shot, auntie, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like them little children be trying me. It's like, please, this is lightweight, lightweight, but I love it, I love it. They mean so much to me yeah, yeah, that's all, but I love it, I love it. They mean so much to me like, yeah, yeah, but it goes. You know, and Michelle, I will say you are the balance in the group, in the crew, in the sister crew, because whenever I have those moments where I'm like the anger stirs up and I think we all deal with the anger and the questions in a different way Michelle always takes me back to the cross, absolutely always takes me back to the cross and she, she reminds me.

Tracey: 30:39

You know you can't dwell there. You know you can feel what you feel. You basically say the same thing I say to my clients and to other people you can feel what you feel, but you can't stay there absolutely. And that has been like the saving grace for me, because when I want to punch air, when when I said let's go to that man grave, dig him up, and so I can beat him up you know, you're like yes, sis, we can't do that, you know, but it's the reality of it is.

Tracey: 31:07

we do have those ebbs and flows where it's just like you feel robbed, you feel cheated because of all the time that has passed.

Michelle: 31:15

Right.

Tracey: 31:16

Like I still deal with my sisters will never know my daughter, right, my nieces and nephews will never know Kenya, and I know for a fact she would have loved y'all and I even said to y'all I can see my child calling up her auntie. She's like come get your sister because she's cutting up. But it's just, you know, being in the space now of gratefulness and just thanking God for what he has done, because, again, we needed each other in this space and this time, and I think we're in a place where we are able to receive it, and so it's just been so great. And now we're making plans for spending holidays together. You know, like the matching, of course, little sister wants matching pajamas yes, she does and we're looking for them this weekend, by the way.

Tracey: 32:06

Yeah, yeah baby sis and we're looking for them this weekend, by the way, are we? Yeah, okay, yeah, baby sis, yes, yes, yes, but I'm like this anyway. So why would I not do this with my sisters? I mean, come on, we catching up on stuff, because I keep trying to get them to do all the graduations and birthdays and stuff over again.

Michelle: 32:26

Oh.

Tracey: 32:27

Lord, don't take me back.

Michelle: 32:28

Oh, wait yeah oh.

Tracey: 32:29

Lord don't take me back. Oh wait, that's it. So, yeah, we can't do that. Aaron still didn't put on his homecoming king crown and sash for me because I wanted to get a picture. I think time just got away from us. But yeah, he's going to have to do that next time I see him. And you know, at least I get to see one of my nephews graduate college, see, so I'm very thankful for that, see, so very proud. And y'all, let me tell you something my sisters have done phenomenal jobs raising their children. I must say, oh, thank you, because they are amazing adults. They're so polite, they're so smart Fashionistas. You know, I just look like, wow, y'all did a great job. Thank you, thank you, you're still doing a great job, thank you.

Michelle: 33:14

Thank you Wasn't all I know. We made it.

Tracey: 33:18

Parenting is never easy.

Michelle: 33:19

No.

Tracey: 33:20

But it's something about seeing the fruit of your labor, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. You know, Aaron is the Globetrotter. He's gone. Now Jamari is making his mark. He's making his mark In his field Jazz is doing her thing, Jalen's doing great Bianca. Vaughn All of them are just doing amazing.

Michelle: 33:48

We are definitely blessed.

Tracey: 33:54

Definitely blessed.

Michelle: 33:55

Sister, sister, how did it feel for you to say that for the first time, oh my, gosh, oh my gosh, it was, it was, it was weird.

Tracey: 34:08

Very much so Okay, For lack of a better word, like I don't have another word for it.

Michelle: 34:15

No, I understand, Like not weird.

Tracey: 34:18

Because I grew up as the only child, Like I'm the only child, my mom had. So I have like my best friends and things like that. I consider them my sisters. But to actually say, okay, let me call my sister. I'm going to tell you the turnaround, the thing that really hit me and I think I told you guys this when we um switched over to this new company and I had to put down my emergency contacts and I was like, wait, I gotta put my sisters down because legally they're my next of kin.

Tracey: 34:42

Oh, wow, yeah, yeah and that's when it hit me. Like girl you got sisters and that was a year. You know, by that time we had known each other and been talking for a year. But that was when it hit me, when I had to add my emergency contacts and I had to put my sisters down. That was wild to me. And when I got birthday cards from my sisters, I opened those cards and I cried, I put them in my. I have a prayer journal, so I put them in my prayer journal because that and I write out prayers like I pray for y'all daily, but that particular prayer that day I sat there and I cried for like an hour because it was just and I wasn't sad, it was just like right, yeah, it was a good cry, it was just not, wasn't sad, right.

Tracey: 35:28

Yeah, it was a good cry. It was like just overwhelming gratitude, like, wow, god, you know, I got cards from my sisters. So it's just been like I have to keep reminding myself again because, you know, I've done this life by myself for 48 years. So now just having the mindset of, ok, let me let my sisters know this is where I am, what I'm doing. And it's been such a great thing though, because now it's like, yeah, my sisters are coming.

Michelle: 35:56

I was telling everybody like yeah, my sisters are going to get this again. My sisters are coming. My sisters are coming.

Tracey: 36:01

And so it's just been a wild ride.

Michelle: 36:07

Yeah, I think it was my girlfriend that asked me and I said the same thing Weird. Yeah, it's weird, Weird.

Tracey: 36:13

Took some getting used to, you know, because I was the only girl, so but yeah, it was weird to say that, and I'm pretty sure Robin would say I don't want to speak for her because we'll ask her, because we're probably going to do another episode with all three of us. I hope I because we'll ask her because we're probably going to do another episode with all three of us.

Michelle: 36:32

I hope.

Tracey: 36:33

I hope you think, yes, okay, let's do it, okay. But I'm pretty sure she'll say, yeah, it was weird because Robin, on the other spectrum, she was the baby in her family, because she has older siblings and she's got another sister. We'll ask her, like we'll talk about her birthday more in depth whenever all three of us get together. But she was the baby in her family, so now she's a big sister. So that's an adjustment for her. And you know, here I am, I'm almost 50 years old and I'm like oh yeah.

Tracey: 37:07

I'm a little sister, like it's just yeah. And then on top of that we find another sibling. Well, the other sibling found us and it's one of those situations where we're giving space and grace because her story is similar to ours, where we didn't know this man, you know, um, and she's the oldest out of us. So out of the siblings that we know about myself, robin michelle we have an older sister that we just found. How long has it been now? Has it been a year?

Michelle: 37:53

it hasn't been a year yet I don't think it's been quite a quite a year maybe after my birth, after our birthdays after after our birth, definitely after, yes, so it hasn't been a year yet, but again same situation.

Tracey: 38:11

She took DNA tests and she matched. She reached out to me, sent me a message and I immediately called my sisters and I just said I FaceTimed y'all and I FaceTimed.

Tracey: 38:26

It was after 9 o'clock it was almost 10 o'clock and they were both like what's wrong, because they know I'm in the bed, I'm in the bed, I get up at 4 am, y'all. So 10 o'clock, me FaceTiming, and all I could say was y'all, y'all. And Rob was like what's wrong and Michelle's like what's going on, and I said we got another sibling. Michelle said no, like we can stop it. Michelle said no, and Robyn's I can't do another sister. And y'all, please don't get this wrong. It's not that we don't want to embrace her or anything like that, it's just the shock of another one. It's like DJ Khaled coming out of the shadows saying another one, another one. So it's just like I said earlier.

Tracey: 39:25

I have a message sitting in my inbox right now and I don't know who this is. It's a guy. So I'm like is this a brother? Like what is this? It's a guy, yeah. So I don't know. I hadn't looked at the match, I hadn't looked at his name or anything, I just saw the message. I'm like oh dear God, I can't do it yet.

Michelle: 39:48

Oh man, so I don't know.

Tracey: 39:51

Okay, when you're ready. Oh child, I don't know when I'm going to be ready. And then I'm like why do they keep reaching out to me, Like Robin is on the same?

Michelle: 40:01

thing Like reach out to her.

Tracey: 40:03

She'll talk to you. And then, who was it? Was it somebody? Somebody else reached out to me and wanted oh, I forgot, she wanted me to call her.

Michelle: 40:13

Right.

Tracey: 40:14

And I was like I ain't calling her.

Michelle: 40:16

She's looking for information, information about her grandmother.

Tracey: 40:20

And so her grandmother. So I looked at that match and it's on our paternal side, so it's a relative of our father. So I'm so scared that this could be another sister, you know. But she said her grant, so I'm not sure how that falls in the DNA, like if her grandmother is our grandmother or so I don't know. I hadn't deep dived into it, I hadn't called her, yet I'm like I'm really hoping she reaches out to Robin, because Robin was immediately like let's call her yes, no, so I'm really, I'm really hoping that lady message Robin, because I asked, I was like please did she reach out to you?

Tracey: 41:03

because if she, if she reached out to you, you can call her. I can't like I just I can't, I can't take anymore right now understood, it's just understood and it's not that I don't want to um get to know these people or have questions, because I feel like the the closer we get to um, people who are related to our father will know more information about him, and I'm at a point now where I don't know if I want to know anything about him.

Michelle: 41:34

Well, you know why I say that, oh yeah, absolutely. And we're going to leave it.

Tracey: 41:38

We're going to leave it right there, absolutely. Papa was a rolling stone. He was the stone before the stone started rolling. Okay, and we don't know. You talk about being fruitful and multiplying and I think it's interesting how it's mostly girls. He has mostly daughters.

Michelle: 42:00

Well, that we know of.

Tracey: 42:02

That we know of, and that's the thing. These are questions that we may never get answers to. We don't know how many of us are out there and I don't know. If you do this, I may be the weirdo, but I catch myself looking at people's faces now Like a little more in depth than I used to, especially in DC, because you know he populated DC. But I'm looking at people and like, are you?

Michelle: 42:26

my sibling.

Tracey: 42:29

Yeah, okay, I'm the weirdo, I don't go that far. Yeah, yeah, yeah, because it's the part, it's the curiosity, but then it's also like I don't want to know. Like I don't want to know Because I would be so mad if there is somebody younger than me that's one of his kids. Like no, I am the baby and it's going to stay that way.

Michelle: 42:52

Oh, that's the baby sister.

Tracey: 42:53

Mm-hmm.

Michelle: 42:54

That's baby sister, yep.

Tracey: 42:59

Everybody needs to be older than me. Okay, sir, your potent term. I was going to say we don't know, we do not know, and the crazy part is how many people took this man to their graves. That's the thing. There's no clue. Like I talked to one of my mom's best friends and she doesn't even remember my mother being pregnant, she remembered getting a phone call. Did I tell you this? I didn't tell you this because you're looking like I didn't tell you this.

Michelle: 43:34

I keep talking. I think we did have this discussion.

Tracey: 43:39

She said that she did not remember my mom dating anybody or seeing you know no man coming around, Didn't even know my mom was pregnant, pregnant. She got a phone call from the hospital that my mother had a baby and it was me and I. I used to make robin laugh. I'm like you know what I think. My mama found me on the side of the potomac river and just oh my god, just picked me up and just like, took me to the hospital and was like, yeah, this is my baby.

Tracey: 44:04

But my mom was 40 when she had me and was going through menopause. So she thought that she was going through menopause and like, nope, it's me. And so I can see why, because my mom was very, very thin and she probably wasn't showing a lot because I was premature and so I could see how she could have hidden the pregnancy. And then all of a sudden, boop, boop, hey, baby girl. So I just found that that's interesting. But being in that time, like I keep thinking about that time that all of us were brought into this world.

Tracey: 44:48

It was a different time. It was a different time. It was a different time and women were treated very differently back then. You know my mom was a single mother. You know women were looked at completely different than they are now, and I actually had to. You know and I'm'm gonna get your input on this if you've experienced this in the beginning of this DNA journey for me, having people that I grew up with and love, dearly, thought of as family, saying they're jealous of me finding my sisters yeah, broke my heart broke my heart.

Tracey: 45:26

Every time I think about. I'm like, wow, why would you be jealous of that? Like, do you think they're gonna take, take me away from you or something like? You had whole families yourself and why are you jealous? And my whole thought process. Anybody that knows me for real knows I don't have any room for any type of jealousy at all. Right at all. Because why? Why would you be jealous of somebody that you love?

Michelle: 45:53

and there's really no need there's no need.

Tracey: 45:56

There's no need, especially when you grew up with this person and you saw me coming through the trenches fighting for my life, literally to see me on the other side. So you're getting. If you're jealous of that, what else are you jealous of? That's how I look at it, and so they have been. You know, my therapist calls them tier one, tier two and tier three friends. They've been tiered three and I don't even think they know it. Um, and one of my best friends is like you gotta fix it, you gotta say, you gotta say something like no, I will, I will not, I'm not Because why?

Michelle: 46:30

Well, you know how I am. I know and I agree with your girlfriend. I think it deserves a conversation, uh-uh.

Tracey: 46:42

Because I'm still angry, and when I get angry it's not going to be pretty. I need God to season my words with grace, because that anger is coming from hurt. Anger is already always a secondary emotion. The anger is coming from the hurt of here's somebody that I thought of as a friend, but here you are saying that you're jealous and I had one that was like well, um, it takes two to tango. I'm like, first of all. First of all, don't be talking about my mama, like to this day. Don't be talking about my mama, right? I don't care if the two tango, like, if I don't know the story and I haven't made an assumption, don't you dare? And then having people say, um, asking, well, why are you doing this? And all of this stuff, and it's just been a lot of backlash that I was surprised by and hurt by.

Michelle: 47:32

Well then you have to ask why are they jealous? Do they think that they may lose? You See, it may be something else on that other side.

Tracey: 47:42

But they need to figure it out.

Michelle: 47:43

Well, that's where the conversation comes in. I was like this that's where the conversation comes in. I was like this that's where the conversation comes in, because they may feel like, okay, I am about to lose her now that she has sisters, and that may not even well. That's not the case. I don't see you going there, so that's not the case. So communication is key. Communication is key and I think that you know these people better than we do. I'm just talking now and they may feel like they're losing you.

Tracey: 48:16

And they lost me in their jealousy, and that's the thing.

Michelle: 48:18

Well see, why are they jealous? But why?

Tracey: 48:21

You've known me all my life, pretty much all my life.

Michelle: 48:23

Why are they jealous? I?

Tracey: 48:26

need them to find a therapist and figure that out.

Michelle: 48:28

You may be able to answer that question, or they may be able to, after having a conversation, figure it out. And if the conversation does not flow, and it's not but you want it to be, then that's one thing. But you can say. Then you can say that I tried, but right now it's just left wide open.

Tracey: 48:51

And it's too much. There's no closure. Yeah, it's too much. Oh, it's closure for me. Where is closure?

Michelle: 48:57

It's closure for me, but it just may be something that they're also going through Now. I've been in your life all this time and now you have sisters and I know they just felt the vibe and they could just feel the energy coming from that. So there may be fear of them thinking that they're going to lose you. This is a maybe. I'm not exactly sure and you won't know unless you have that conversation.

Tracey: 49:22

Well, pray for me, sister, because I'm not there yet. Okay, please, and everybody listening, pray for me because I'm not there yet, because I'm I'm. I think people underestimate my ability to close a door and especially when I don't have the capacity to take that on, and right now I just I don't have the capacity, and it does. It doesn't mean that I hate them. I love them dearly, love them. If something, if something happens, I'm going to be there. But as far as that, close access no. Not right now.

Michelle: 49:55

Like I said, I don't know the inside story. You know the inside story, so you know these people better than I do. I'm just looking at it from the outside, looking in this DNA journey exposed a lot of things.

Tracey: 50:13

It exposed a lot. A lot of it good, but some of it bad, it hurt it hurt a lot. I just want to know from your perspective did you have to deal with any?

Michelle: 50:24

of Not at all. I see Not at all.

Tracey: 50:27

I love it for you.

Michelle: 50:34

Not at all. See, not at all. I love it for you, not at all. Everybody was just so elated and, first of all, could not believe it, even, uh, those that just find out. Um, one of my former co-workers. I just told her she was like, really, yeah. And I was like, yes, I just found out. And so I was telling a little bit of the story, because we were at a meeting and I said, girl, we have to get together so I can tell you the entire story, and she was like, I am just so happy for you, that is awesome. So, no, I have not had that.

Tracey: 51:05

I'm glad you didn't. Why am I the special?

Michelle: 51:08

I don't know, I don't know Everybody. Well, you saw, you saw how my family gravitated and they just welcomed. So no and I don't know if it's because of some of the things that I've gone through losing my time no, I'm not even going to say that my people are just like that, they're just like that. No, I'm not even going to say that my people are just like that, they're just like that. And no, I haven't had any pushback at all.

Tracey: 51:34

At all.

Michelle: 51:35

I love that Ask for me and that's another question we need to ask Robin.

Tracey: 51:42

Yeah, yeah, I don't think she has. I don't think she has either I don't remember her mentioning it, but me remembering something.

Michelle: 51:52

If I didn't write it down.

Tracey: 51:54

I know, yeah, but it's funny how, like people would try to give advice, like, especially people who've never been on this journey in any type of way, like they would try to give advice or try to tell me what to do or tell me how to feel. Like the people that try to tell me how to feel about that man, I'm like no, because if my sisters, who are right here in the trenches with me and dealing with the same thing, aren't telling me how to feel, you can't tell me how to feel because it's, it's confusion, like it's. It's confusion, it's anger, it's hurt, it's all of the things. So you can't tell me how to feel about that man.

Michelle: 52:35

Well, I don't think anyone can tell you how to feel right, and that's what I'm saying.

Tracey: 52:38

If if anybody could, if anybody could say anything, it would be y'all. And you have not right. Neither one of you had told me how to feel about him. Neither one of you told me how to feel about him. Neither one of you had told me how to feel about the situation. So I'm like y'all, please just be respectful. And then, from my perspective, being out in the public a little bit and sharing my story. I'm sharing my story because people have asked about it and so now they're intrigued and everything I've really had to put people like set this clear boundary and that's one thing about me. I have clear boundaries and I am not afraid to say no, we're not doing that. But to have people tell me well, you should do this or you should feel it, no, all I need to do is stay black and die yeah, and they don't know your journey, they don't know the journey and keep in mind too we're only sharing parts.

Tracey: 53:29

Absolutely we're not sharing everything, because that part is sacred. We're sharing what we want to share. So just be mindful, people, just because you see somebody on the internet and they're friendly towards you, y'all, you don't know them. And I'm gonna tell you right now don't know them. And I'm going to tell you right now don't try that over here, don't do it. Okay, don't do it, because my block game is strong. I will introduce you to the block ministry and keep it moving, because I have to, you know, because it's a lot, it's a lot, it's a lot.

Michelle: 54:04

Yes, it's a lot, and you get to a point in your life where the shenanigans and nonsense you just don't have time for it. You know there's so much going on, now that you know you just want some peace.

Tracey: 54:23

Yes, and that's one thing we're going to do protect our peace Absolutely. My favorite word lately has been nope, just like that with the P, nope. I don't have time and I've said this, I don't have the time, the energy nor the desire to deal with that Absolutely, because y'all heard at the beginning of the episode what I got going on when I got time for foolery, when I got time for shenanigans. Now, good, shenanigans when I'm cutting up with my sisters and my friends. Yes, but, all this other stuff, mm-mm.

Michelle: 54:57

I'm grown, grown, I got bills to pay.

Tracey: 54:59

Absolutely, it's just too much.

Michelle: 55:02

And there's always a bill to pay.

Tracey: 55:06

There's always A bill to pay, Since we need to get lottery tickets.

Michelle: 55:09

I'm just saying yes, I meant to mention that to you. I'm just saying we do.

Tracey: 55:14

We're going to build our little compound and just disappear. Yes, like Charger Station, claim it, claim it, amen. Build a whole little family compound out there somewhere in the woods. I just need a body of water. Give me a body of water, I'm good. Well, sister, thank you so very much for being on the episode.

Michelle: 55:35

Thank you for having me Always.

Tracey: 55:39

So we're going to let y'all go, because we got sister things to do and there's one spot that I gotta go take my sister. So she doesn't, so she doesn't, you know't, you know, and I'm really hoping that it is good, because if we get over here and the food is not good, I'm gonna be upset.

Michelle: 55:57

Me too.

Tracey: 55:58

She would not let me go taste it beforehand.

Michelle: 56:01

We're gonna experience this together.

Tracey: 56:04

Except you want us to cover whatever you like. This is an interactive podcast. I don't just sit up here and just talk to myself for an hour or two. I need y'all to interact. All right, so until next time my boos remember God loves you, I love you. It ain't nothing you can do about it. Boop, boop, boop, boop, boop. Bye y'all, thank you.