On Being Adopted
I was 6 days old when I was adopted in 1948, and from the very beginning, my parents told me that I was adopted. The way they did this was by reading a book called "The Chosen Baby". Though in today's world it is quite antiquated, it made me feel very special. It tells the story of a couple who wanted to have a baby and what they did to fullfil their dream. It, also, goes on to tell about the adoption of their second child. This made such an impression on me that when my parents adopted my little sister five years later, I would sit and read this book to her.
My 'adoptive' parents shared as much information as they could about my birth mother. They let me know that she had been 17 years old and left Iowa, coming to Ohio to stay with a family member until after I was born. They described her to me from the description that the doctor and agency gave them. They also made me see what a difficult decision my birth mother had made, but how glad they were that they found me.
Though there is a part of me that would love to meet my birth mother, I respect what she has gone through. I would like to know about my family health history, which I am sure many of us adoptees would, due to some health problems that have been coming into my life. It is a strange feeling going to see a doctor and them asking about your family history. What do you say? I always tell them that I am my history, explaining that I am adopted. (On a different note, I think that there should be something done about allowing adoptees access to family health history. They don't need to have contact with the birth family, just the needed information that can have an impact on the quality of their lives and that of their children.)
Growing up I felt blessed in a lot of ways, that's not to say that I didn't go through some problems. But I found that several of my friends and peers who came from a 'natural' family were going through the same things. The only time I felt set apart was when I chose to put myself in that position.
I have been truly blessed in my life. My parents have taught me the meaning of undconditional love. My prayer is that every child finds the family who is waiting for them and that every adoptive family finds the child for whom they are searching!
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