It's been a while for this one?

Lillie

I'm 34. I'm an adoptee who's been in reunion since 1996. Adoption was good and bad for me, good and bad for my mother. Good in that I had a great life and upbringing, wonderful parents and family, but bad in that I missed out on wonderful parents and family, and a great upbringing. My life wasn't "better" it was just different.

My n-mom and I are still struggling to put the piece back together and heal the wounds that adoption created in our lives; my n-father, he passed away in 2006, I didn't get to know him all that well.

Possum

Adoptee - 39yrs old.
Found my first family almost 4 years ago - it's been a rough ride - but finally I've found some of my truth.
I also found a sister - adopted out 5 years before my birth.
We are very alike - and very close.
Until finding her - & having my own kids - I never truly knew how much genetics matters.
I've always wanted to know why - who - my story - etc.
I've always felt a loss.
I love my a-family dearly - and sometimes wish that it would have been easier if I was just born to them.
I hate the feeling of forever being in the middle - of the family I was born to but not allowed to know - and the family I was thrust into by adoption.

cobberor

I'm 40 and adopted. I tried searching for my birth mother when I was 20. They found her, but she wanted nothing to do with me. As far as it's affected my life? Well, I think it was probably the best thing that could have happened. My birth mother was 14 years old, and in the sixties that would have been more difficult than today. My adoptive parents are the most wonderful parents anyone could ever hope for. I actually adopted my three kids as well, something I thought I'd never do.

Heather Leigh

37 and I am an AP

My son came into our life when he was 5 yrs old thru Foster care. He is actually a relative to my ex-husband. So they considered it a Relative Placement. He came to our home after being in the hospital due to the abuse at the hands of his Original Father. He has some internal injuries and he was severely dehydrated and underweight for his age. His Original Mother left when he was an infant because his father was abusing her.

His Grandparents fought to have him in their care, but sent him back into the system when they (G-ma really, not G-Pa) could not get any money for him. He then went to another Foster home where he was abused. (Spanked with a spatula, made to take cold baths at times and even held under water on occasion)

We found out he was back in Foster care and requested to have him with us again. The rest is history so to speak. He adopted us :) when he was 8. He is now 13. He has regular contact with his original fatherâ€™s side of the family now that his father is deceased. He has very limited contact with an Aunt on his original Motherâ€™s side of the family

He is truly my hero...To come out of this and still be an awesome kid. He was diagnosed when he was younger as being mentally retarded, having severe FAS...Now he is an honor roll student and an all around jock...quarterback for his football teem, plays Base ball, basket ball and plans on running track next year. I wonâ€™t lie, it hasnâ€™t all been rosesâ€¦He has some issues and he sees his counselor twice a week, once on his own and also a family session. Weâ€™ve come along way, but there is still a lot of work to do.

I am working on bringing CASA back to our area because children in the Foster Care system need someone to speak up for them and the case workers are overworked and burnt out. Children in they System need a voiceâ€¦Someone to look out for them.

Thank you for the opportunity to brag about my son! Sorry about the long answer...and that was the condensed version!!

wholelottacats

34
I'm a PAP, and also the daughter of a first mother who relinquished her son 40+ years ago - embarking on the search to find my brother.

Freckle Face

Just turned 40!

I'm an adoptive parent. Two of my children were adopted into our family, our oldest 10 yr and our youngest 2 1/2yr. I have grown beyond words thanks to my amazing children.

I also have 2 second cousins who are adoptees and 6 cousins who are adoptees and 1cousin although never formally adopted (cause my aunt died of cancer before the adoption was complete) she is still my cousin and l love them all. I have been by their sides as some have searched for their first parents and the whole gamut of the complexities of adoption. They are my closest family members.

Ghost Writer Rides Again

I am 29 (turning 30 in Sept!)
I relinquished my younger daughter at birth in June of last year. I am raising her older sister. I have never hid my first mom status, even when people were openly hostile towards me like I was the scum of the earth. There have been many understanding people, and the few bad apples as they say. For me, it has been an emotional roller coaster of being ok with it to downright hating myself for it. And I cannot even imagine how my older daughter is handling it. Her baby sis just turned a year old and she still sometimes asks if she is still in my tummy. In spite of how it has affected me, I cannot even compare it to how my four and a half year old daughter is handling it and how it has affected her life. All I can do is be there for her and love her and let her know that I love them both with all my heart and that I was trying to look out for their bests interests.

LaurieDB

I'll be 44 in a few days. I was relinquished at 13 months and adopted at 2 years of age. I always wanted to know more about my own beginnings and ancestry. I wanted to know the simple things like who I looked like and what ethnic background I had.

Up until my mid-30's, I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to meet my first family or not, as I was quite nervous about the prospect of doing so. I reunited with both sides of my first family in 2001. I enjoy a good relationship with them.

sweet kacey

I am 29 and an adopte. My birth parent was a dead beat ( she still is) and i am still trying to dell with it. I met my bp when I was 16 only because she sought me out, I only met her in hopes that she would see what she miss out on and hopping that she would never contact me again. She hasnt. I am very happy with my adoptive mom. She is mom and I will forever be greatfull to her. I take one day at a time.

5littlemonkeys

I'm 26.
My husband and I adopted three of our children from foster care. They all have the same fmom and three different fdads. We choose to have open contact with their birth families.
We just had our sons newborn brother placed with us as a foster child. We are hoping to build a relationship with his mom so our sons will always be able to have contact if he gets to go back with her one day. If she is unable to take care of him again we are hoping to adopt him and make sure she stays part of his life.
My husband found out in January that his mother had 2 other children that she placed for adoption before he was born.
He has reunited with his sister. They are building a wonderful relationship. It is like they have always know each other. Seeing how long she had searched and longed for her bfamily makes my desire to keep my children's adoptions open even stronger.Her husband is also adopted.
They just got info on their brother and that has not gone as well.

Lori A

I'm 52, a first mom and it has affected me to the core for the past 37 years. Since our reunion almost 9 years ago I have experienced more peace than I had even known, with the exception of loving her father, and loving my family now. It was painful for a very long time. I drank a lot to numb the memories.

I'm 36

I'm the daughter of an adoptee (in reunion), granddaughter to an AP and a birthmother.

I'm also a PAP.

chelsea s

I am 21. I am a birth mother to a little boy who is turning one year old TODAY! :)

Adoption has affected my life tremendously. Of course in the beginning and still now in the present sometimes I feel sadness, loss, and jealousy of mothers, but in the end I believe adoption has been a very positive force in my life. I love the adoptive parents I chose, and I know they love me too.

They are perfect for me and my son, because I know they will raise him with the same core values that I would have had it been another way. Plus I know they are doing an amazing job because he is doing really well! He crawled at 6 months, and walked at 10! His pediatrician was impressed by how cognitively advanced he is too. And he is the happiest baby I've ever seen, really. He almost never cries even when he is sick. AP's tell me everyone they meet adores him and tell them he is the cutest/most well tempered/happiest/funniest baby they've ever seen. (sorry, I can't help but brag a little..)

They make every effort to include me in their life. I hear from them at least every week, if not by phone then by email. They tell me all the new little things he does. I went to visit them a week and a half ago with my boyfriend the birth father, and I'm going back in a week for another visit with my twin brother and my dad. He will always know I am his birth mama, because his APs are two dads. :) I like it that way because I am his only mom. They are completely comfortable with that, too. I will always be there for my son, not as a direct parent, but as a supporter. If it weren't this way, I would never have had the courage to place him.

Anyway, I'm glad I chose adoption. :)

tragic teacup

I'm 12.

I eat my boogers.

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