Have you ever experienced a situation where a friend or family member just exited your life? It’s a weird feeling. Days, weeks, months, then years may go by since you’ve last seen and/or spoke to a certain person. Sometimes it’s saddening. Other times, it’s for the best. But what’s beautiful about these separations is that there are opportunities to rekindle the bond you once had with that person if both of you wish to do so.
A long-lost bond certainly got patched between two Cambodian sisters. 98-year-old Bun Sen and 101-year-old Bun Chea hadn’t seen each other in almost five decades until their recent 2020 meetup!
The interruption of their bond wasn’t caused by sister drama but by a tragic event that occurred in their home country. Under rule by Khmer Rouge during the mid- to late-1970s, approximately two million people were believed to have died. Families were physically broken up. Children were taken away from their parents. Cambodia was torn apart as the Pol Pot regime attempted to get complete control of the country and its people.
During the chaos, Bun Sen lost her husband. Once the regime was overthrown in 1979, she moved to a destitute neighborhood in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, near Stung Meanchey dumpsite.
Her goal was to one day revisit the village she grew up in. However, the province of Kampong Cham was 90 miles away. The distance and the state of her health would prevent her from making the trek on her own.
But thanks to NGO Cambodian Children’s Fund, Bun Sen was able to make her way back to her home village. Just a couple of weeks ago, she was able to meet up with her older sister, Bun Chea, as well as her 92-year-old brother who were still residing in the village. What a surprise it was to Bun Sen, who had absolutely no idea she’d ever get to see her siblings again!
“I left my village a long time ago and never went back. I always thought my sisters and brothers had died,” the older sister admitted.
Bun Sen was incredibly emotional during the reunion.
“To be able to hold my older sister means so much. And the first time my younger brother touched my hand, I started crying.”
She then discovered that Bun Chea, like her, lost her husband during the regime, leaving her a single parent to their 12 children. Bun Chea also believed that her sister was no longer living.
“We had 13 relatives killed by Pol Pot and we thought that she had been too. It has been such a long time,” Bun Chea said. “We talked about her, but I never thought we would see her again.”
Life works in mysterious ways! Reunions with people you’ve thought you forever lost are such special moments.
Look at pictures of the sisters below. Just seeing the images, it’s apparent just how strong their bond is!
