I do.

I had a conversation last night with someone I’d been hoping to meet my entire life (or at least since I was about 10 – so over 40 years).

My biological father.

I hope to dive deeper in the future into telling my story of adoption and how it has affected me in my life in a video format. But for now, I will share this –

I’ve known my entire life that I was adopted. Growing up in a multicultural family in the 70’s & 80’s, it would have been a blatant lie for my parents to have tried to hide this.

I’ve known my entire life that my parents love(d) me.

I’ve been interested in family history and genealogy for most of my life.

And I’ve always wanted to know more about where I (and my ancestors) came from.

It takes two to tango and patriarchy has twisted the act of creative love into a shameful experience when not preformed under its rules.

It sucks to grow up thinking that the main reason you were “given up” was because your mother (and her family) believed in the shame game – were taught to believe in the shame game.

I may feel like a hot mess much of the time grappling with my own demons of indecision, but every now and then a sunbeam of clarity reaches me.

I know that I am breaking barriers. I am reaching deep into my Celtic heritage roots and finding strength in having multiple families. (Fostering strengthened Celtic communities and was not done in secret.) I am also bridging generational trauma by birthing and raising my child as a single mother.

I am very thankful for DNA testing and the family members I have been able to meet because of it.