For thirty-six years, the State of Indiana kept my record of adoption hidden in a secret and dark place. It was probably buried at the bottom of an old musty file cabinet, and never saw the light of the day. After I discovered my birthmother had died, the State of Indiana said I must send a copy of her death certificate before they could send this one to me. In other words, I had to prove that my birthmother had died before I could receive a slip of paper to prove I was born.
Although I never had the chance to meet my birthmother, I am thankful that I was blessed with an adoptive mother who loved me and taught me how to love. I cannot imagine a greater human than my adoptive mother.
I speak for all adoptees. We are not searching for a mother. We are searching for our past. We just want to know the circumstances of our birth and how we got here. We are tired of hearing whispers. We are tired of secrets. In fact, get ready to hear us make a lot of noise. The frail piece of paper that is shown here may not seem important, but it is the rightful information that should be revealed to every adult adoptee.
If you are an adult adoptee, never give up on your search. You have the right to know who you are and where you came from.
I have never heard a more compelling reason to open up birth records: ” We are not searching for a mother. We are searching for our past.”
Thank you, grahammb! I really appreciate you noticing those two combined sentences. Stop by and see me again soon.
I love to hear about reunion stories, Lets. I’m sure any pain that accompanies a reunion is worth it, for the truth of the past is the most precious thing to most adoptees.
Such a tangled web. In this day and age you would think understanding the importance of the search. Everyone has a right to know his or her roots. I know of two stories. Both ended up finding their past. One was a happy reunion, one was mostly hot and cold but at least the satisfaction of frustrating years of hanging on a limb is over.
I wish you success and look forward to keeping up with your story.
A very belated “thank you,” Tess. I’m happy that you agree that we all have a right to know where we came from.
😀 😀 😀