I am an adoptee that was adopted at 5 weeks of age. I have a wonderful family. I lost my mother April 22, 2002. It has been the hardest thing I have ever endured.

I knew I was adopted from and early age. They started telling me in a bedtime story which, at the end of the story, the Mommy and Daddy wanted a baby. They'd say, "That's you. You're our very special baby."

As I grew older, I was curious as to who I might look like. Mom never liked it when I asked these questions. When I had my own daughters, I finally understood why she felt threatened. My babies were mine, it wouldn't have mattered how I got them. I loved them.

I started visiting surname websites around 3 years ago, sort of lurking around. I had some information on my bio-mother, but I wasn't looking. I formed a friendship with this lady whose husband had the same birth surname as mine. He wasn't looking either. Susan and I became friends.

The last 2 years of my Mom's life, I watched her grow more frail. It broke my heart; this woman was my best friend. I made it a point to always tell her how much I loved her, and no other mother could ever fill her shoes.

When she passed, our whole family was there, and I whispered in her ear, "Mom, I love you; let me know when you get to the other side."

Long story short, one month to the day of her passing, my friend Susan called and said, "Cindy, you better sit down. I think your biological family found you, and they want your e-address." They had contacted Sue.

We went to Utah that summer and met my bio brother and my bio mother. I thanked her for what she did. I told her she gave me the greatest gift of two loving parents. She seemed happy that I had a good life. (Back in 1957 you just couldn't run around with children if you weren't married.)

Since that meeting, my friend Susan and I discovered her husband is my brother too. We have 3 siblings who haven't been found. We have 12 half siblings. I'm still adjusting. I have 2 sisters who I adore and my brother Ed. I call the mother and check on her, but she isn't my Mom.

So my message is I felt very special to have been adopted. You know that you were wanted, and if you're lucky like I was, you have a wonderful life.

© 2003