Can you imagine the feeling of meeting your mother for the first time after 41 years? That was exactly the case for Larry Johnson of Arizona, who, after 23 years of searching, finally found his mother and reached out to her online. Thanks to Skype, Larry was able to connect with his mother Alma Olson through a video calland finally see her face-to-face. We were recently able to chat with Larry about his experience:
Yezel Rosales: Thank you for agreeing to share your amazing story with us, Larry. How was the process in finding your birth mother?
Larry Johnson: I’ve been searching to find my mom since I was a kid, finding different avenues every year I would open my adoption file. I recently found the final pieces to the puzzle and sent out emails, kind of knowing that I’d reached the right person.
YR: You also have two sisters you’ve recently met. How was that?
LJ: Yes, I also have two sisters, Margie and Kim. I met them both for the first time through Skype as well, and it was just a great time. Skype was such an ice breaker, and it’s just fun to meet the whole family. Skype has made the world a lot smaller.
YR: Whose idea was it to video call each other on Skype?
LJ: The idea to Skype with my mother was mine. My mom hadn’t used Skype before, so I walked her through it, and my sister Margie was able to help as she lives near her.
YR: What was it like seeing and hearing your mom for the first time through Skype? Do you think Skype helped break the ice?
LJ: Seeing her on Skype for the first time was amazing. Since my divorce from my first marriage, I also use Skype to speak to my two boys who live in Seattle, so I’m an old user and comfortable with the technology. My mom lives in Florida, so it was great to finally see her and meet her on Skype on Mother’s Day.
She flew out to Arizona about a week and a half ago, and we finally were able to meet in person. Using Skype to connect with her first was great. She was able to see me at all times of the day – when I’d just woken up, when I was all ready to go out or even using Skype in my car on my cell phone. It’s just great to be able to have that constant connection with her.
YR: Do you now use Skype often to chat with your mother?
LJ: I’m on Skype with my mom every week or more. It’s nice to be able to see each other and just say hi. It’s the same with my sons – it’s nice to see how everyone’s doing. Just to see their faces makes me happy.
YR: How has Skype enriched your new relationship with your birth mother?
LJ: My experience has been fantastic. The opportunity to see my mom without having to pay $400-$600 on a flight is heart-warming, and I appreciate it an awful lot.