More Progress

I really can't believe how much has happened in the last 5 months!! 5 MONTHS!! For over 15 years I lived with this suffocating secret. This huge cross I dragged behind me everywhere I went. With every breath I took (or reminded myself to take), I inhaled more shame, more sadness. The thought of telling someone about, well, about me and my story, sent me into a severe panic attack and now...

Yesterday I talked to two of my friends that I literally lived with when I was 15. They actually introduced me and K's dad back in the day and we were like sisters...but then I left and detached from all of them. I couldn't deal with still having them in my life after what happened when K was born...I couldn't tell them or anyone for that matter. So needless to say, until yesterday neither of them knew I had this beautiful daughter. Since finding them on Facebook last year, we'd talk every now and then but I was still a little closed off...duh :) But I love those girls and I wanted to share this with them...so I did! WOW!! I can't believe this is me doing these things...talking, sharing and doing it without severe anxiety?!!?!?! What?? They were so blown away and SO supportive! They told me I was their family and they loved me & wish they could've been there for me. They couldn't believe how gorgeous K is and they are so excited for us!! I never knew how liberating living "your truth" could truly be. It's remarkable & I'm just learning how remarkable it really is.

In the last 5 months...I repeat...5...months, the following has happened: (eh-hem)

• My daughter wrote to me & we began emailing each other
• I told my best friend (who happens to be adopted herself!!!)
• I told my brother (he never knew)
• I confronted my parents & talked for the first time about my pain
• I told my In-laws
• I told her birth dad!!
• I told friends that I never thought I'd tell
• I MET MY DAUGHTER!!!!!
• I went to Disneyland with HER!!
• I met her family & her friends!!
• I don't feel ashamed to be ME..along with a truckload of other emotions I've never felt or allowed myself to feel before...

Progress...pure progress. I'm truly amazed.

xoxo

Baby Daddy Follow Up!

Okay, so I need to catch you guys up on what's happened since my last post, "Big News", where I talked about K's Birthdad's reaction to, "Surprise, it's a girl!". I think the last thing I said was that he took it well and was supportive, but then sent text messages saying he needed to find her and basically wouldn't rest until he did. Obviously that wasn't going to happen & although I completely understand his need/want to know if she was safe, I would not in any way, shape or form, allow him to disrupt her life. So a few days later he and I spoke again & I knew I needed to explain things a little more. I told him that we didn't need to look for her because she had already written to me & we email each other so I know she is safe, happy & has a beautiful life.

My plan originally was to only tell him that she existed and that I felt he had a right to know, so if she ever wanted to look for him he would be ready. But when he began to insist on finding her and saying crazy shit like he was going to get a lawyer if necessary, I knew I had to do something to ease his mind. Hence me telling him that we email each other. He was relieved and happy to know that she was okay. He is really emotional about it all & even sweet about it, yet I don't trust him enough to tell him that K and I have spent all of this time together. By the things he has said, I feel that if he knew the extent of our relationship, he would feel he had a right to meet her too. He would be pushy about knowing more detailed information & that would just be unacceptable. Not to sound harsh, but he seems to think that the fact he never knew about her gives him some sort of right to know her now. Well, it doesn't! Not at this point in her life anyway. I've tried to explain to him that SHE has to be the one the initiate a relationship with him and that it's completely up to her and to her parents...not up to him! On that note, her parents have told me they don't think she's ready for any communication with him & they'd rather him not know any specific details (last name, where they live, agency info, etc.). I completely respect their decision and I agree. She is still a minor and none of this was supposed to happen until she was 18 anyway, so he will have to just be patient & really, he has no other choice.

I always absorb other peoples feelings and make them my own. I've started doing that with him too! After all of these years of guilt, I finally told him!! I should feel a sense of accomplishment and feel good-no, feel great-about that and I do, yet at times I find myself taking on his feelings of "want". I really need to take care of myself and my emotions for the first time and of course always do the right thing by K & her parents. I would protect them with my life if need be. I need to NOT make myself responsible for the way he feels. I did the right thing in my mind...I told him. He knows. He should be able to rest assured that she knows how to contact him if & when she wants to, and all he can do is wait. I waited for 15 years...I think he can handle this.

xoxo
Jen

The First Time...

This post will not in any way express the feelings, the emotions, the surreal-yet pure realness, of what happened on June 25th. It was a Friday & it was the first time I met my daughter. Well, second if you count the fact that she grew inside of me, which I have to say is pretty noteworthy, but did I ever see her? Hold her? No. So for the first time on that Friday I met my daughter. I hugged her, held her hand, we smiled at each other, cried together and told one another we loved each other. My life will never be the same. Thank God!! I was ready for something monumental to happen...and so it did.

Okay, you're going to die when I tell you this! So the plan was to pick her up on Saturday. I would pick her up from their hotel, as they were coming to the So Cal town in which I live for a weekend getaway. Just the 3 of them (mom, dad, & K). We would spend the day together and then I would bring her back to the hotel later that night. It was a plan & that whole week I was nervous and excited and freaking OUT! What would it be like? Will it be awkward? Will she like me? Will I say the right things? Will she understand? What will we do? Will I be able to hold it together? Barely, but I did! That plan changed on Wed when I got a text from K asking if I was available Friday too because they would be coming in early and she wanted to spend both days with me!! Available?? YES!!!!!!! Then I had the idea that since I'd be picking her up Friday and seeing her Saturday too, maybe she could just spend the night and we could have a slumber party! I felt comfortable enough with her mom to at least ask. I sent her mom an email...she said yes!! K texted me freaking out with excitement that she could sleep over!! I picked her up on Friday morning and we had two full days together! 

The first time I saw her was indescribable but I'll try...They were waiting outside by the pool area. As I was walking toward them I could see her profile in the distance and it felt like I was dreaming, like an out of body experience (not that I've ever had one but it's what I think that would feel like). I was floating and I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. Her mom ran out before I got too close and just hugged me and asked if I was okay and if I was ready to meet her. I think I said, "I can't believe this is happening, but I'm ready. I think I'm ready". As I turned the corner, she stood up and smiled at me. It was the most beautiful smile I've ever seen in my entire life. When we hugged, it felt like I was falling into her and she was falling into me. It was the first time I hugged my daughter. It was the first time I saw her smile with my own eyes; the first time she heard me say I loved her. We couldn't stop hugging and we must have both said how much we missed each other a 100 times. We held hands, took pictures and sat down to chat with her parents. They made it so comfortable, so easy. We talked about the weekend & what we would do. We talked about the fact that they use to come to this area for vacations over the years and wondered if we'd ever crossed each other's paths without knowing it. (I live in the same town where K was born...). I don't know where her parents came from, but if there's such a thing as angels walking this earth, they embody everything that one would be.

About a 1/2 hr later, we were off to spend the next two days together! I think for the first few hours we were both in a state of shock and disbelief. I know I was! We came back to my house to hang out & talk and just get to know one another. I wanted to make her feel as comfortable as possible & I tried to contain my overwhelming emotions. We talked about everything. She told me about her friends and her boyfriend & I told her about my life and most importantly, our story. I told her how it came to be that she was given up for adoption and how much I've loved her, how much I've missed her and how thankful I am that she wrote to me when she did. She told me she always loved me and couldn't imagine me not being a part of her life for things like her prom and graduation & she didn't want me to miss out on those things. When she said those words it felt like my heart was going to burst!! She loves me that much?? She didn't want me to miss out on those things?? Oh my God! I couldn't believe my daughter had thought of me in this way. I think I was just always so consumed with pain, fear, sadness & guilt that I never was able to think that she actually loved me as much as I loved her; that she could miss me or did miss me as much as I missed her. It just took my breath away. I don't think I actually breathed those entire two days.

We had a great weekend together! We went to a film festival that was in town later that day (we both love movies), we went out to sushi, we stayed up till 3:00am watching TV, talking and sitting on the couch holding hands. Just sitting with her, holding hands was so magical. There was this energy that I can't put into words. It was a physical & emotional connection unlike anything I ever have and ever will experience. We stared at each other and smiled & laughed in amazement that we look so much alike. We played with each other's hair. I held her before she fell asleep & we told each other how much we loved one another. I made her breakfast the next morning! I made my daughter breakfast!! I stood there scrambling eggs, staring at her sitting at my dining table and just thought, Is this really happening? Am I dreaming? Is she really here? She was here. I wasn't dreaming...this is my (our) new life & it is more beautiful than anything I could have ever dreamed.

Time flew by and before we knew it we had to meet her parents for dinner and we'd be saying goodbye. I knew I'd be a wreck...and I was. I was okay through dinner, which was great and lighthearted...her parents just made us all feel at ease. But after dinner, as we sat outside Starbucks I felt like I was in a bubble. I couldn't see or hear anyone around me. I was just holding her little hand tightly and she was holding mine. My husband did a great job at entertaining her parents as she and I just kept looking at each other and hugging and crying and smiling...it was once again, magical. She and I were completely in our own world. It was emotional. It was heart-wrenching. It was beautiful. It was the second time I had to say goodbye, but this time it wasn't forever, it was until next time. Needless to say, after we finally let go and said I love you's, I got in the car and completely broke down but it was the most amazing emotional roller coaster I've ever been on.

And the next time happened to be two weeks later!!!! We had talked about going to Disneyland together one day since I'd never been there before, which if you live in CA and have never been to Disneyland you stand the risk of being stoned to death. It's unheard of! But why would I go to Disneyland?? I always thought, I don't have kids so why would I go to the Happiest Place On Earth? Didn't seem to be a priority on my list but K insisted we go together and I never wanted to go anywhere more! So two weeks ago, I was driving out to her house & we were at Disneyland a couple of hours later. It was the second most amazing day of my life. Just my daughter & me...at Disneyland...together. Her parents welcomed me into their home and had me stay over that night. We were at Disneyland ALL day. From 11am to 12am! In the morning, her mom made us muffins and coffee and we told her all about how much fun we had. I know!! It's truly unbelievable!!! And each time we're together it will be more amazing than the last...I can't wait for the rest of my life. I can honestly say I've never felt like that before.

Like I said, this post doesn't describe in the least what really took place when I met my daughter but I promise you all, when you meet your child, no matter when that happens, the love you will feel and the love they will give, will be unlike anything you have ever imagined. Everything you thought, everything you dreamed of, everything you wanted to say, will come true. I know what has happened to me, to us, isn't something that happens every day. The fact that her parents are so open with me and to me, is not something that happens to most of us Birth Mom's & I will forever be grateful and thankful to these two people who have changed my life forever.

No matter what your situation is like or what it becomes, don't give up on loving your child or thinking they love you. They will know how much you love them when you hold them in your arms for the first time. Write to them, even if you never hear back. Pray to God, to the Universe to protect them and to fill their hearts with the love you have for them. They will feel it. They will know it because you are connected. No matter who's in the way, no matter who feels threatened by that connection, they can't take it away from either of you. It is just a fact that the love you have will prevail! It may not be today or next week, or even next year, but it will be. I wish for all of you that your child's parents will see that there is enough love to go around and the most important person who will benefit from that love is the child. There should be no room for jealousy or fear, because when you strip the negative thoughts and feelings away from the situation that we as humans create, it really is only about the love. K's parents love me for giving them this beautiful child & I love them for giving her this beautiful life. K loves all of us so much and we all love her more than life itself. If I could have a wish come true, it would be that Adoptive Parents and Birth Parents could come together in the way that we have come together, because it's truly the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed.

I never thought I would be healed of this broken heart or live in light instead of darkness, but it's happening right before my very eyes! I'm learning how to forgive myself and love who I am for the first time. How could I not love myself when she loves me so much? How could I not love myself and look into the eyes of this beautiful person I gave birth to? I'm learning what love truly is and it's taking my breath away.

Until next time...love always.

xoxo
Jen

Big News!

So it's been a few weeks since my last post. Time has just gotten away from me and I've been going through such a roller coaster of emotion but nothing like I'll experience tomorrow. She will be here! My beautiful K will be in the city where I live and I'm picking her up! OMG! OMG! OMG! There are no words that can describe what will come over me when I see her for the first time. I promise I won't wait long to post what this incredible experience will be like. This is something I've dreamed of for so long. I've wondered so many times if it would ever happen and here we are. The day is here! I'm in awe of it all...

...including the conversation I had yesterday. Part of my emotional roller coaster the last few weeks has been (still) that K's dad doesn't know. I feel like I've made such huge strides with all of this since Feb. but the fact that he was still a missing piece of this huge secretive puzzle that has been my life, just wasn't sitting well with me. It's been like an overwhelming weight that he and I were in touch and I didn't check "telling him" off my list. The last conversation we had was weird and awkward and he was obviously drinking or something but I thought, let me give this one more shot. So I did, yesterday. His voice was different and sounded normal or alert. Sober I think they call it. We made idle chat for a few and then...I told him. I told him that I was pregnant when I moved and that by the time my parents found out I was having Her and they called an adoption agency. I didn't tell him we've been in touch. I needed him to absorb what I just told him, plus I didn't feel totally safe telling him, "Hey, we had a baby you know nothing about & she's coming to visit me this weekend. So what are you up to?" I just needed him to know that she's out there. She exists and she may, one day, want to know him. He took it surprisingly well! Thank you God, was all I kept saying. He said he was sorry I had to go through that and that he wasn't mad at me and that he cared about me. He wants to know if she ever tries to find us and he would be so excited to have her as part of his family. I'm so taken aback by this! I'm blown the F away!! I buckled when I got off the phone and just said thank you a million times. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

But then he texted me later that night. Oh how our minds start to fuck us when we dwell. He wants to find her. He thinks legally he was screwed over (I'm paraphrasing). I didn't tell them (my parents or the agency) I knew who the dad was so there was no effort on their part to find him, at all. I was a minor and my parents had to sign the paperwork and so did I. Legally he wasn't a part of it. If that's anyone's fault it's mine. I assumed he was drinking when he sent me this text so I just tried to diffuse it and will attempt to clarify how much he would upset her life at this point if he tried to get involved. When she's 18 she can find us and we can find her...not now. Good idea I didn't tell him we've been in touch??? Ye or Nay? I'm thinking Ye.

Most importantly, no matter what happens, I am so thankful to have this opportunity to know my daughter. I can't believe that I have closed the circle of secrets. There are no more. It was my greatest fear, that is telling people my secret & now everyone who this could have directly affected knows. I actually faced my fears! I can't believe it! I never have done that before in my life. Amazing!

xoxo
Jen

A New Light, A New Friend

My friend Lisa (who I consider family, not just a friend) found a new light on Sunday around 3:00. She will never be the same and I mean that in the best possible way, and she will forever remember that day. The day she met her Birthmother!!! She has a new light around her now! It's like this glow. She told me that a feeling of peace came over her that day and it's like something she'd never experienced before and like nothing she ever knew was possible. She is still in a state of complete awe!

It's so crazy to think that we've been friends for about 8 years and we're just now really getting to know each other! I mean, we knew each other before, like I knew her true personality and I knew what she liked and didn't like, we made each other laugh all the time...all that stuff but I didn't know her big fears, nor did she know mine. We were both guarded and felt naturally comfortable together because we both knew not to be too nosey or pry into each other's lives and it was like an unspoken respect to not "go there". But once K wrote to me, there was no way I could hold back my "secret" any longer. I just had to tell Lisa & I had wanted to for so long, but was always so scared it may change our friendship somehow. And you know what? It did, but only in the most amazing way!! We're more close now than we ever have been and we are so incredibly supportive of each other! Duh-that's what real friends do!! I never knew that because I'd always been too scared before. Anything deeper than the surface was too scary!

Once I told her my story just about 2 months ago, she was inspired to reach out to her B-Mom again. They had found each other about 10 years prior but lost touch over time and had only emailed and spoken on the phone once, never met. So fast-forward to present day and they met a few days ago, at a restaurant, not far from where they live! Lisa is now 40 yrs. old and has a whole new outlook on life, a new light, a new gift, a new friend in me, and a new love...her Birth Mom!! I am so happy for her & I'm so thankful that I'm able to share (with every part of me) this moment with her. We were meant to be friends and to both have such amazing stories of adoption, is just unbelievable! Who knew when we met, we would be where we are. Life just keeps on taking my breath away!

Let the light shine on!

xoxo
jennifer

Wishing I was there

I can't believe it's only been 3 months since I received my first email from K. I still remember looking at my phone, seeing that I had a new email from someone who's last name I didn't recognize and how I had a delayed reaction to seeing her name. At first I thought, Who? And then in a split second I realized it was K, my daughter & my heart leaped out of my chest!!

I know how lucky I am to have this opportunity. To be able to have the chance to email her whenever I want to; to be able to send her pictures and receive pictures; to be able to tell her how much I love her and miss her, not just wish and hope she will know one day; to know that her mother has accepted me with open arms & has reassured me that I will always be a part of their lives. It is more than I could have ever dreamed of. Thank you GOD!!! I don't know how I survived this long without having her in my life. I can't imagine my life now without her.

No matter how amazing this relationship is or becomes, I'll always miss what I didn't have with her. I don't think that part ever goes away. That part that wishes things could have been different & that I could have raised her & been her Mom. That part that wishes when I look at her pictures as a little girl, that I could have held her & rocked her to sleep and comforted her when she was sad, or heard that little laugh that kids have. Even though I know in my heart and my mind that her life probably wouldn't have been as amazing as it is right now & that back then, as a teenage girl, I probably wouldn't have held the same feelings about doing those things as I do now, as a 30 y/o woman, I think us B-Mom's will always hold on to that wish deep inside our hearts...no matter what.

K is on the swim team at school and they had a banquet dinner the other night. She sent me pictures and she looked so incredibly gorgeous. One picture in particular just really got me though. It was one of her and 4 of her friends, all standing next to their moms, K's included. It's a beautiful picture! I just stared at it and cried. I cried because I was so happy she has become such a beautiful young woman, because her mom is such an amazing woman & I know how much she loves K, because I missed her and my heart longed for her and because I wished that I could have been there, standing there next to her; next to my daughter as her mom.

All B-Mom's know we can't change what happened. We can't change the past or take back the adoption once it's been done. At first it feels like it was the right thing to do and it probably was, especially if you had a family like mine. For me, time didn't make the decisions 15 years ago more bearable. If anything, time made the pain more severe, more real. But the universe has shifted. Now time has become my friend. Now I know K & I will always be in each others lives & I feel like my life is just beginning. I feel like she and I have all the time in the world and in just weeks I will be meeting my daughter for the first time ever! I will hold her and hug her. I never had the chance to do that when she was born. I've only dreamed of it.

Giving up your baby is one of the most painful things in life that someone can experience & if it doesn't feel like it at first, it will one day. I have literally woken up every day since getting K's letter & said out loud Thank You, because I know how blessed I am to have her in my life. I'll always wish I could have been there & I'll always be grateful, for the rest of my life, that I'm here now.

xoxo

Up & Down

This morning (and kinda last night) I was feeling really down. I could feel that weight in my head starting to get heavier and heavier. That little nagging voice that has dictated my life in a negative way, was starting to talk to me again. The difference though, between hearing that voice now vs. say 6 months ago, is that I'm more conscious of it. What I mean is, when that negativity starts to set in telling me that I'm not good enough, or that my dreams are unattainable, or that I'm less than so & so because they've accomplished more than I have, I'm able to now pull myself out of the darkness. It may take a couple of hours or it may only take a split second but by me telling myself out loud to stop it, I'm able to quiet the voice inside my head so that I can hear the voice inside my heart.

In my heart I know I have so much to be thankful for & I know without a doubt that I will fulfill my dreams. I've just been programmed for the last 15 years to think otherwise. I've allowed every negative thing I've ever heard, felt, saw, and experienced to trap me. My ability to now be able to shut that negativity down is because I've realized in the last few months that everything I've ever believed was a lie. I believed I was a loser, that I'd ruined my life, that because I had this secret I didn't deserve anything good (and a ton of additional insecurities) but that is ALL A LIE!! It's a lie! Since having K in my life, I am certain beyond all certainty that I am meant to do & will do all of the things that I've ever dreamed of and maybe even a little more than that.

So at 8:00 this morning I was crying, praying and giving myself a pep talk all at the same time. Now it is 10:47 and I feel like I will have a book deal by year's end! In other words, I went from hopeless to hopeful in less than 3 hours. Not bad for me! Sometimes when I have these mood swings, for lack of a better word, I laugh and think I'm a little skitzo but this is my way of working through my shit. That is quite the accomplishment I'd say! I'm working through it. I'm not just letting my mind take me on a roller coaster of depression and angst. I'm telling that voice that is my other self, the old self, the self that use to be louder than my heart, to fuck off. This Inn is full. There is no room for you here.

xoxo

The burden of guilt

Guilt is something that I have struggled with since I was a teenager. I carried it with me for SO long and it affected every part of who I was, who I became, how I thought of myself and ultimately, how I thought others perceived me. I'd already condemned myself long before others had the chance to. To me, time doesn't heal all wounds. Especially the wound that us B-Mom's carry. I think our pain is unlike any other. Not to take away the pain that others experience in life, but our wound is so primal. Time (for me) just made my pain more intense. Every year I thought about Her more and more. Every day I thought about my choices, mistakes and those of my parents, and my "what if" thought process was paralyzing. Was paralyzing.

Since K wrote to me, the guilt that was my best friend has almost completely vanished. I don't think my heart will ever be completely whole again, just because I will always miss her (you probably know what I mean), but I will not live with the suffocating guilt that was smothering me for the last 15 years. To know she is happy, safe & loved is something that I will be forever grateful for. The not knowing, combined with my own shame was killing me slowly every single day! I know for a fact that if she hadn't written to me, I'd still be in that same place. That place was so god-awful! I know how blessed I am now. I couldn't see it before & it may be hard for you to see right now too but, (and I used to hate it when people said stuff like this) if I can forgive myself and see the light at the end of the tunnel as sunlight, and not a train coming at me, you can too!! I think I hated hearing people say "...you can too" because I didn't believe it. They didn't understand what I'd been through. But I get it now!! Maybe the last 15 years have been like a training process for me to be able to help others! I've never been as excited about the future as I am right now!! I think I really can use my past as a tool for my future, not as a torture device (on myself!).

Feeling guilty is like being locked in an invisible prison cell. Guilt robs you of the ability to believe you are worthy of success in life, and you are never truly free as long as you carry its burden... Guilt is rooted in fear.

That excerpt is from something I was reading this morning & it just made me realize how truly powerful guilt is. Throw in some shame and you've got a perfect combo for a life unfulfilled and a life of undiscovered potential. Well, guess what? I'm done with prison & I am over the fear that I've allowed to hold me back from this life. I'm breaking free from myself and my past so that I can embrace everything that today holds and everything the future will bring.

xoxo

Am I an asshole?

Okay, I just had a thought. I turned on the TV & there was an infomercial that featured a guy, who's apparently some successful real estate person, talking about how successful & cool he is. I thought for a second, what if that had been K's dad? Theoretically, I mean. What if I would have called him and he had been some outwardly normal person, who had a great job and who wasn't on crack (or meth, sorry) & hadn't talked the entire F'g time we were on the phone? How would that have made me feel vs. how the person I did talk to made me feel? I felt so disappointed after talking to him and a little heartbroken because he's currently a freak but part of my "thought" was this; I think it made me feel a little bit better about myself to know he wasn't some successful, do-gooder, husband, with a wife & kids. I feel like such an asshole for even thinking it! It's just the lingering loser inside me that wants to feel better by comparing myself to him; someone who's obviously not all there. Who's to say I am? But really, he literally talked the entire time!

I really do hope that we can be friends one day or at least have an understanding. I want him to know about K one day, I truly do, so I hope he finds his way. I hope I find my way too. Just because I'm not a tweeker doesn't mean I'm taking advantage all of what life has to offer. I know I have no excuses left personally. If I don't accomplish the things in my life that I've always made excuses not to do, I have no one to blame but myself. The girl I use to be is always trying to tell me I'm not good enough & I'm so sick of all the self-doubt!

So I need to have a plan! I don't think I've ever had a plan and stuck with it. Ever! God that's crazy but there's no time like the present. I refuse to have a 40th birthday (one day) and look back on my 30's regretting as much as I did in my 20's. F THAT!! It's on!!!!

Just to end this eve on a positive note...I don't think I'm an asshole. It was however, an asshole thought, but it has since passed. I want him to be the best person he can be in his life, for her & for himself. That's the truth.

xoxo

Unemployed Woman Seeks Big Dreams

Yes, I am currently unemployed. Again! It's been a little over a week since I got laid off from my job which only sucks because I don't have a paycheck coming in, not in any way because I loved it. My hubby (thank God) has a good job & is as solid as he can be in his position, but we're a two income household for sure. So losing this job means I need to find another, relatively soon. First of all, I knew this one was temporary so getting the axe was no shocker & it was, of course, a completely unfulfilling position. I guess a lot of people who go to their ho-hum jobs everyday aren't really fulfilled either, so I'm not unique in that, but I just dream of so much more! Do you ever think, This can't be it! This is not all there is, right?  I do. I know in my heart I'm meant to do something more with my life than puddle jump to the next office job. I think I've always known that but have been too afraid and too consumed by my own fears and self doubt to really do anything about it. I would make myself feel better by saying, Something will happen. Something will fall into your lap, I just know it! God, I'm so full of crap!

I know in reality, I'm the only one who's stopping myself from "becoming" something. What does that really mean anyway? Becoming something. Becoming someone. I mean I've had good jobs. I was an Interior Designer for over 6 years and it was great! But even then I was searching for something else. Since leaving that career, I've been wandering. A wandering, wondering, gypsy of sorts. I've been a nomad on the road of admin & office jobs, with streets littered in scanning, faxing, getting bagels and catching up with the other zombies to talk about, well the other zombies. Completely empty calories, filling the day but leaving me longing for nourishment. I want to nosh on some exciting, inspiring, interesting 8 hour days (or more)!! Perhaps, something topped with passion? That's what I think being something means...To be fulfilled, happy, satisfied. To have passion about something, not just walk through everyday, wishing for something else. Why can't we have what we wish for? Somebody does right? There are people who exist that have accomplished goals & who have made their dreams a reality!! This does happen!! Just look at Diddy :)

I'm just annoyed with myself today because I know I'm capable, I know I have the desire & I know I'm the only one who is standing in my way. So I want to kick my own ass! I'm actually going to take that as a good thing, this annoyance. Something in me needs to change & what could be better to help you change, than starting to embrace who you are. The last few months have proven to me that anything is possible & I have so much more to offer than I ever gave myself credit for. Before, I was so consumed by guilt & my past that I'd stop short on everything I started, or I used that as an excuse because I was afraid that if I did have true success at something, then I'd need to face that past. Bottom line: I HAVE NO MORE EXCUSES LEFT! I really don't.

Oh you're probably wondering what those dreams are. Fine. And as I type this, I will say it outloud so the Universe can hear me & ask for further clarification if need be. Eh-hem: I want to be a Writer. I want to write screenplays, books, articles, and inspire myself and others. I want to live my truth and use my experiences as a tool, not a torture device. And I will always get my own coffee no matter how successful I become.

So that's all for now. I'm hungry.

xoxo

Mother's Day

Mother's Day in the past was always about standing in Target (or some other equally awesome store) trying really, really hard to pick out a card for Mom that didn't sound like a complete lie. I would love to get a card that said, You were always there for me, You picked me up when I was down, You were there in my darkest hour, but that totally didn't happen. I usually end up getting the Hope you have a wonderful day. But today folks there was no card to be picked out, there was no phone call, or text. This is the first Mother's Day I haven't talked to my mom. Regardless of how our relationship was or what it was based on, I don't remember a time that we just didn't speak at all (speak, not talk).

The last conversation we had was about 2 months ago & it's was about "the seeeecret". I was calling to tell her that I was disappointed (duh) in her reaction to my receiving K's letter. When I had spoken to her, about a week prior to tell her I'd gotten it, she was extremely matter-of-fact and just kind of a bitch, to be honest. There were a lot of "uh-huh's" and "oh that's nice". I never get angry at her or lose my temper, even after everything that's happened, but the fact that she never asked to see a picture of K, or ask what she looked like, or get even an ounce of emotion stuck in her throat for me, just told me that she really doesn't care. I finally saw it for what it was. But I hung up without making waves. I hung up feeling like I felt in that hospital room 15 years before. To make this phone call scenario even longer, I called her to tell her she basically hurt me & I wasn't willing to keep this a secret anymore. It was killing me!! Well, she didn't like that too much. This was the most horrible argument I've ever gotten into with anyone! She tore my ass apart and blamed me for everything that happened. Everything! I actually yelled back this time & told her that I was ONLY 15 and YOU WERE THE PARENT! She has no idea, nor do I think she really cares about what this has done to me. She's too busy worrying about defending herself. Anyway, that's why she didn't get a card, or a call, or a text.

Other than that, today was a really special Mother's Day & had a whole new meaning. I got an email from K saying Happy Mother's Day!!! That still feels like a dream! Her mom sent me a text saying she was thinking of me & of course my MIL is great and we talked for awhile. My brother, his g/f & their new baby are doing amazing and it was her first Mother's Day. That's a lot of good stuff, wouldn't you say?! I'm just overwhelmed by all this love! It's like nothing I've ever felt before.

Even though my mom is stuck on the dark side, I'll be waiting if she ever wants to come into the light. Well, only if my hubby doesn't drive a stake through her heart first. That was a joke...

xoxo

Let Down 2010

God, I'm disappointed!! Maybe I was setting myself up for it but I can't help it. I always give people too much credit, even before I know who they are, and even when I do know who they are. I mean I haven't seen or spoken to K's dad since I was 15 years old, so really, what was I expecting? Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me fill you in...

I got his phone # a few days ago from his brother, whom I found on Facebook. I have and do feel in my heart, that the right thing to do is to tell him about K and let him know she's out there, she exists! One day, maybe she will want to know him. So last night, I just said screw it! I'm calling! I hadn't decided how much I was going to tell him because I was going in kind of blind, I just knew I was going to tell him that I had her, she was given up for adoption & I felt destroyed ever since. Okay, so that was the so-called plan. But then he picked up the phone...

Uhm, I think I can say with all certainty, he's a tweaker!!! Noooo!! Please say it ain't so! I've done drugs in my day & when we were all hanging out together, that's what we did. Drank, tried whatever was around and hung out till the sun came up, but apparently after I left he got into some hard, hardcore shit. He told me he wasn't doing it (and by it, I mean meth/ice) anymore but, I think that's an addict telling me he's not doing it anymore. Pretty sure it wasn't a beer buzz he had! I'm SO disappointed!!!

Literally, I said maybe 10 words in this hour long conversation. Although the word conversation would imply that two people were talking to each other. He was talking AT me most of the time. There was no calm. There was no sincerity. It was just chaotic or something. I can't explain it, all I know is I didn't feel safe telling him because it wouldn't have been received, you know what I mean? This is HUGE information!! I felt like he was in another world. I guess I just expected him to be "normal-ish" & that was not the case...So the 10 words I said didn't have anything to do with anything. How could they? He told me he's never had any kids, and that I was always the "special one". What do I do with that information? Maybe nothing, but part of me feels like, maybe if I told him it could change his life as much as mine has been changed since K contacted me. But then I think...he's not me & I can't be responsible for changing his life, can I? Of course I can't. I can't believe I just had that thought!

I cried so much last night. I felt devastated when I got off the phone. It was a huge build up to call him too. I was so incredibly nervous. SO NERVOUS!! Then, there was that. I was left with that; this addict or freak or just lost soul. He sent me a text afterward and said he was sorry he talked so much, he was just nervous and buzzed. I guess so dude! I'm also left with the fact that he still doesn't know. I'm not sure if I should call him another day or send him an email or what. I have no answers at the moment. All I do know, is that I would never in a million years, let this beautiful girl, my beautiful daughter, ever know that person. She is everything that is good and right in this world and I knew when I heard his voice that she couldn't be a part of that. But he still doesn't know about his daughter, and I of course feel some guilt lingering. I always take on the guilt. But I shouldn't this time, should I? Do you guys have any answers? I'm sort of at a loss today.

xoxo

The Domino Effect

I would have never believed that this would be happening. This whole, living your truth business. My mind has been officially blown. The more I think about what has taken place, the more I just sit back in complete amazement.

With one letter, my life changed. Before I got K's letter I was existing, but not living. I was loved, but unable to truly accept it. I would smile, but the pain was always smiling back. Then I got a letter. This letter that told me, it's okay, and I love you. It told me that there is no secret & there is no shame. K was safe, healthy, and happy! Happy! She was raised by a wonderful, nurturing family and she thanked me for giving her to them. When I saw her pictures, the light that is inside her was undeniable. Was part of that light me? This is light, not darkness. This is love, not hate. Is this really happening? It was really happening. It is really happening! In that moment, I knew this beautiful person that grew inside me, wasn't meant to be a secret and there was no room for pain and guilt, because she is love. She radiates love. She isn't a passing thought, or a horrible memory. She is my Angel. She saved me.

So as the days passed since receiving her letter, I've made a TON of progress. It's so funny how life plays out sometimes. Months before getting it, I'd been falling into a deeper depression and had been on anti-depressants for probably about 6 years. They really only helped me balance, they definitely weren't healing anything. Just a band-aid on a gunshot wound, but about 6 months prior to getting her letter, I wanted to ween myself off my anti's because I felt like they weren't doing shit! I was becoming so much more depressed than I had ever been before. Not just depressed, I was longing and desperate to heal and find my way out of this dark place. I had no idea how that was going to happen, I just knew my heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest. The anti's at this point felt like they were just numbing me and I had to break free! I knew what my sorrow stemmed from & it wasn't all chemical imbalances & a family history, it was a broken heart and guilt for fuck's sake. As I got on the lowest dose of happy pills I just started to have even more intense feelings about everything, yet felt compelled to do something about it! So I started going back to therapy. I puked everything out in our first session & knew I had to continue this for me. I had to begin to heal or I would  be stuck forever. One week later, I got K's letter.

These are the things that have happened since that day, 2.5 months ago:

• K & I email each other almost every night!!
• I told my amazing friend Lisa, of 8 years, who's adopted herself...One of the reasons I felt so scared to tell her. I really thought she would think I was horrible! We're closer than ever now!
• I told my brother! He never knew. My parents made me keep it a secret between the 3 of us. He's been SO supportive and amazing. He is behind me 100%!
• I told my In-Law's! They have embraced me more than they had before and I thought that was a lot! My MIL told everyone at work about my story (she's a talker!) and she's so proud of me!
• I had a conversation w/ my dad for the first time EVER about what happened and told him how I felt so alone and confused. I needed them and I was lost back then. That was one of the most healing conversations I've had.
• My mom and I had a terrible blow-out and it was God awful but made me realize that I am strong and it's not all my fault. She has suffocating guilt and shame that I cannot be responsible for any longer!
• I met K's mom and she is the most beautiful human being I've ever met, inside and out, emotionally and spiritually...amazing. One of the best days of my entire life.
• I have K's dad's # and I'm tyring to build up the courage to talk to him soon, about all of it. He deserves to know I think. I deserve to not have anything be a secret & that was always part of it.K deserves to know that if she wants to ever talk or see her father in the future, that he knows about her already (and there is no secret!). I hate that word now!!!

Just a few of the amazing things that have happened since getting a letter from an Angel. The Domingo Effect, you ask? Well, by me telling my friend Lisa, who's adopted as I mentioned, she said my story sparked something in her and she wanted to find her B-Mom. So she jumped on FB and found her about a week after I told her my story. They're meeting on the 30th of May!! She also found her B-Dad on FB (FB is freaking crazy!!) & they've started emailing each other. There's a huge part of her life being filled in at this very moment! K fulfilled me with a sense of love, peace and filled a void that would have forever consumed me if I hadn't gotten her letter that day. Her mom told me that I filled a void in K that she never could have filled, and K told me she feels complete for the first time in her life since finding me! I've opened up to people and have started living in this truth, which had been my greatest fear for 15+ years, in 2.5 months!! I feel compelled to help others now and share my story and who knows how many other people that can effect!

So by one girl, writing one letter, to one person...I'm seeing lives transformed in front of my eyes. It's like an out of body experience, or as close to one as I can imagine. The residual effects of receiving her letter are unbelievable. They're magical.

xoxo

Holy Crap!

Holy crap just scratches the surface! I have big news! So in addition to all the amazing things that have taken place since Feb. 20th, things I'd only dreamed about, or had nightmare's about, depending on my state of mind, something else has just happened! Another part of this huge chunk of my life is about to hit my right in the face and kind of already has....K's dad!!!!!

Of course I've thought about him over the years. We were so young but we were so connected and in love, as much as a 15 and 16 y/o can be. I think he knew how alone I was and he wanted to save me. Regardless of our co-dependency, when you're that age (or probably any age and co-dependent) you feel like that person is your everything. Have you ever known someone that you know would do anything for you? That was him, to me. But then everything happened so fast. We knew I was pregnant before I moved. I had taken a pregnancy test and it was very positive! It seems like everything from that point on became a clusterfuck of bad choices. Although, the bad choices started long before that day.

Once I found out I was pregnant, we were supposed to go to Planned Parenthood, most likely for an abortion, although I don't recall having a plan, I just remember he was supposed to pick me up. He never did. Something happened and he was late so we couldn't go. Then I was leaving a few days later for California. The days that followed are a complete blur. I remember going to the airport, holding onto him for dear life. I remember lots of tears and hugging all my friends and not wanting to leave them. And then I remember sitting on the plane, in my window seat, crying uncontrollably, alone. That was the last time I saw him. I know we talked a few times once I settled in Cali with the parentals but I honestly, for the life of me, do not remember what I told him about the pregnancy. I have no idea if I lied (which is highly likely), or if I just stopped talking to him, flat out, or what. I do know, that I stopped talking to him long before She came into this world. He has no idea about the adoption. I'm sure over the years he's wondered what really came of it all, what became of me.

And here we are! I was on FB last week and I've of course been thinking about him a loooot since getting K's letter and seeing her gorgeous face. God, she looks SO much like the both of us, it's insane!!! With it being a "secret" for so long, part of my guilt was always him not knowing, you know? But I digress...So I went on FB and couldn't find him, but found who I thought may be his brother, and sent him just a little message; Hi, not sure if this is You, but it's Me, and I hope you're well, blah, blah, blah. Uhm, yes it was him, yes he and his bro are well, AND, exact quote: My brother was so happy to hear you are doing well. He's always talked about his model g/f Jenn....You should really call him sometime. His # is ___!!! Are you serious????

HOLY CRAP is an appropriate title I think. I almost stopped breathing when I read it. One, I found him. Two, he still talks about me???. Three, he obviously wants me to call him? Just like that! I'm dying!!! Dying!! Honestly, this is like the final piece of the secret that has made me sick for so long. He's the last link in a way. He is a huge piece of my puzzle. And he's here. His phone # is just staring me in the face. But I'm scared. Actually scared, excited, nervous, and almost giddy in a way. Is that weird? I think because he's happy to hear from me and wants me to call him, makes the giddiness start brewing, but then I think, this conversation won't be all about reminiscing. Well it will, but you know what I mean.

I guess I've really lived through the hardest part of it all, which would be letting my daughter go, even though I never really have. And the most important part of it all, is that she has had an amazing life, and that's a fact. So this is just a part of the big picture right? It's not the picture. It doesn't make or break anything. Because the one thing that can never break, no matter what, is the love & the bond that K and I have.

But I'm still freaking out. I have to go practice breathing now...

xoxo

Lighten up!

Nothing major...just wanted to lighten the bloggy, so the template once again has changed. I think I'll stick to this one for at least a week or two :)

I'm so happy that whoever is reading this out there, is taking something away from my story. It's amazing to think that anything I could say would have an affect on someone & be it in a positive way...stranger things have happened! This is rad! Really, thank you guys!

xoxo

Never Give Up

I've been like a sponge lately. I actually hear what people are saying & read their words now. It's like I feel so much more connected and that's exactly what I am...connected. I don't feel like I'm floating in the dark abyss any longer. I've never known anything different, or if I did, it was so long ago that I can't remember. I use to buy books, read about 30 pages or so, and just put them down or become completely disinterested. Now, it's like I need to read these stories of people who have come out of the dark, into the light, or hear their struggle & their triumph. Maybe it's because I feel like I'm becoming one of those people! I am one of those people! Holy crap!

Never Give Up is the book I'm currently reading, by Joyce Meyer. Yes, Joyce Meyer the Evangelist person! :() I know! Normally I shy away (purposely) from those peeps. When I was younger my mom took us to a few big time Evangelist's who "laid their hands on me"...as a 7-8 year old, it's really bizarre, I have to say. So anyway, it completely random that I picked up Ms. Joyce's book, but at the same time I'm so open to other's people's POV's, & I'm so intrigued by their journey that I don't discriminate! Not even in my vocab! And like I said, I'm kinda becoming a little sponge! It's kewl :)

I was at Ralph's (a grocery store here in So. Cal) and they have a really nice little book selection. So after I picked up my veggie's, I was rollin' past the books and stopped to see what they had (actually the 25% off sign caught my eye). I picked up a few books that had interesting titles, one of those being Never Give Up. One of my biggest fears has always been not accomplishing anything. Yes I've had good jobs, yes I have a great hubby and I think I'm a good wifey (although I haaate cleaning) but I mean ME. Me accomplishing something & feeling fulfilled! I've always held myself back from everything. Never have I truly finished or accomplished anything. I always go halfway or on a good day 3/4 of the way and fall short. It's all because of me, I know this. No one else has stopped me from "becoming" someone or doing "something". I'm my own roadblock. My own worst enemy. So Never Give Up just sang to me, because through it ALL, I've always had a little voice in my head telling me, "You will do something great", "You were meant to do something more with this life", "This didn't all happen in vain". It's been a really soft, faint voice, true. But it's been there. All the other shit in my head was just trying to drowned it out!

So I opened this book somewhere in the middle, just to feel it out, and one of the first things I read was that Joyce had a horrible life growing up and an abusive childhood. She never went to college, that wasn't her path, but today she has written over 80 books. 80 Books?!? Just that in and of itself made me want to know more about this woman! And she is an amazing, real, person! The book is filled with common sense stuff (in addition to a lot of scripture references) but when you read it, you just GET IT! When our minds start to play tricks on us and our guilt, or sadness or pain, eat us alive, we have no compass. We're just consumed by the negative & we become the roadblock. As I'm now starting to forgive and love myself, and learn that other people really love me for me, I'm able to heal and accept that I might just have something to really offer! What a revelation! You have something to offer too!

One thing she says in the book that really was like an "ah-ha" moment (I mentioned i love Oprah, right?), was this: When you are not exactly where you want to be, remind yourself that neither are you where you use to be. That hit me right in the face! Bam! SO TRUE!! When I think about where I was mentally & emotionally just 3 months ago & realize how many unbelievable things have happened since Feb. 20th, I am in a complete state of amazement! One day you can wake up and everything as you know it can be different. That Saturday morning when I woke up and started going through the mail, I never would have thought there would be a letter that would change the course of my life. Just like that! So that little, faint voice buried deep inside me, was my true self telling me to never give up, and even though there were soooo many, countless times I felt hopeless, I was holding on for dear life. Phew!

xoxo

The Greatest Gift

"Out of my greatest despair, was to come the greatest gift."

That quote captures everything I could ever say about my journey in this life, thus far. It's in the first paragraph of the book The Secret (which I LOVE). Yes, it's new-agey and even if that's not your thing, I think you will be able to appreciate the point of the book, which is, you have to be thankful for what you have everyday & that what you put out there (your energy, your attitude, your thoughts, your dreams) can & will become your reality, good or bad. I think that holds true no matter what you believe in.

Until recently, I hated myself and was falling deeper into a depression. I tried really hard not to let go completely but my heart was hanging on my a string. Some days were better than others but my mind was my own worst enemy. Not that anyone else would have known. On the outside I was happy-go lucky, friendly, warm, kinda funny :) and didn't seem like a person who had "problems". But I couldn't forgive myself for my past. I just couldn't! I felt like a horrible person who had ruined my life & worst than that, someone else's. In between all the noise in my head, I met this amazing man, who became my husband but even then I didn't think I deserved him. He loved me so much & always knew how to make me laugh. He saved me from myself, but couldn't save me from a broken heart. Only I knew what it would take to start gluing that thing back together. And it was being free from this secret. I knew my secret was strangling me.

My hubby was the only person who knew about the adoption & that was the secret I kept until I met him when I was 24. I had never told a friend because I didn't have any (on purpose). I'd never told my brother because my parents said no one was to know. I never had therapy (until I was  25) because you were weak if you needed a shrink. So my secret became my sickness. Actually, that's part of AA. They say Our secrets make us sick. And nothing could be more true. Every insecurity, every day filled with sadness, every racing heartbeat, every stretch mark I saw on my body, was my secret eating me alive. I never knew that my greatest despair would become the greatest gift. But that truly happened.

In the last 2.5 months, I have told my 2 best friends, my brother, my in-laws, and I have talked to my father & my mother about the "secret". My brother was AMAZING! He told me how proud he was of me and how excited he was for K and I. My friends have been an unbelievable support!! They love me more than ever! Oh & my in-laws. God, they are amazing people. They are by my side 100%! My dad cried and told me how sorry he was for not being there for me and how much he has regretted the decisions that were made back then. I never knew that. He had never spoken to me about it...ever. My mom, unfortunately, didn't have any words of love or healing for me. She blamed me for all of it. Everything. She broke my heart a little more that day when we spoke, but only because I still love her, not because I think she's right in any way. I was a kid. I was lost and alone and confused. She was broken and unable to save me. So every time I think about what I missed out on with not having K, I think of what she and I would have had to both endure if she would have stayed with me. It wouldn't have been the loving, nurturing, healthy family she's had over the last 15 years.

Without a doubt, out of my greatest despair has come the greatest gift. Not just one gift, but many. The day I opened K's letter, just a few months ago, life changed. I received the gift of love. Not just any love, but HER love. I have the gift of peace, knowing she is safe, loved, healthy, and has had an amazing life! I have the gift of her parents accepting me and letting us have a relationship! I gained a new family!! The gift of forgiveness. Everyday, I'm healing a little more & learning to love myself and realize that I'm a good person who deserves great things. The gift of friendship. I can finally talk about my true self to the people who I love & they love me back! The gift of strength. I never realized how strong I was until recently! I always thought of myself as weak. Then there is the gift of truth. Secrets are so damaging!! No matter what they are, they will eat you alive. My secret literally affected everything I felt, everything I thought, and everything I was.

The day I saw her pictures, the day I read her letter, I knew this was something I was not willing to keep to myself. It was too beautiful, too pure and too true. No more secrets. No more fear. Just love <3

xoxo

An Amazing Day

Yesterday was a day I will never forget. I met a woman who has changed my life in the most profound way and she is one of, if not the most amazing person I have ever met. She is my daughter's adoptive mother. She is her mother & she is incredible.

So we met at a beautiful outdoor shopping area that's about half-way for both of us. We only live 2 hours away from each other! We were to meet in front of K's favorite crepe restaurant. I probably sat in my car for a good 15 minutes before getting out because I was so incredibly nervous! Shaking!! As I walked up the pathway, I saw her in the distance. She turned and saw me & the first thing she said as I came toward her was, "You walk just like her". We just embraced each other and started to cry. It was amazing! We held hands and walked over to a bench, under a tree and sat and talked about everything!!

I told her about my past and how the guilt & shame has suffocated me for so many years & she held me and assured me there was nothing to feel ashamed of. She didn't know my story. She only knew I got pregnant when I was 15. She didn't know I picked them out of a book filled with strange faces, with only the social worker at my side. Mom, was so angry and embarrassed she sat in the other room as I struggled to understand with what was happening. I told her how damaged I felt ever since the paperwork was signed, but she grabbed my hand and told me how strong I was, and that this was just the beginning of a whole new life!!

She told me how proud K is of me and how much she loves me. That she tells everyone about me and has a picture of me on her binder that she takes to school!! She told me that she loved me too and that I am a part of their family & I will always be in K's life. God, who is this angel?? This woman, so full of love & compassion, has accepted me as part of their family, just like that!! It's more than I could have ever dreamed of!!

I'm not religious, per se, but I do believe in God. I believe I have a guardian angel that guided me to pick them! Out of all of the faces in that book, what led me to select them?! She has given me the greatest gift I have ever received! The gift of knowing my daughter. I will be eternally grateful to her. None of this would be possible without her love & her sense of security with their relationship. She told me there is enough love in K's heart for all of us! She said, "Who am I to deny her loving you & who am I to deny you of her love?". If that's not a woman who is enlightened, I don't know who is.

The most amazing part though...I get to meet K at the end of June!!!!! There...are....no...words.

xoxo

Short version

Okay. How should I put this? There is so much to tell, I don't really know where to begin. But how about a short, condensed version (cuz long posts just blow).

I got pregnant when I was 15. When I was 10th grade I lived at a totally lax and overpriced boarding school with ZERO supervision. I was doing things you probably haven't done in a really long time (me either actually). I got pregnant, by my then boyfriend, who was equally unsupervised. Except my parents lived 3000 miles away from me. When the parentals wanted me to come home after 10th grade I was heartbroken and scared. I was leaving everything I ever knew there, to go back to a strange place I'd never been, with people I didn't know (that would include my parents).

I shut down. I disconnected. I was blank. I hid my pregnancy from my parents. I was scared. Lost. I wanted to die. Instead, I just shut my eyes really tightly and hoped someone would notice me. They didn't. I broke down the morning I went into labor and told my dad I had to go to the hospital. I had my baby within a few hours. At a hospital. In a room. By myself. No support. No love or moments of clarity from them. Just anger & more abandonment. They never saw me; before, during, or after. And I never got to see Her. The only person who came to see me that day was the social worker. Not a psychiatrist or a counselor. The social worker. That social worker just happened to be with the adoption agency, affiliated with the hospital. Interesting? Sure is.

So before I knew what had happened, She was gone. Adopted by a family. A real one. My "family" went back to denial  & never talked about it. Ever. My mom & I cried once together, but no words. No help. Nothing. We told no one. My brother, who was in the military, was to never know. No one. It was my fault and my secret. They thought I was smarter than that. I was damaged goods. So that's what I thought for the next 15 years. You. Are. Damaged (and deserve to be abused, used, depressed, anxious, ashamed, scared, guilty. Nothing less, nothing more). But you know what? Through the pain,  She was always with me. Always.

And here we are. I got a letter almost 2.5 months ago. Life-changing-moment!!! She's 15. She's beautiful. She loves ME!!! I can't believe it!! I have never felt this feeling. It's indescribable. It's amazing. It's unlike any feeling I've ever had in my entire life. If you could take all the beautiful, happy moments in my life and combine them (there are a few scattered about), they might come in a close 2nd behind whatever this is. It takes my breath away. We email each other almost every night. There are pictures and I love yous and I miss yous and a lot of <3<3<3<3<3...It's a dream. A living breathing dream. It's the other half of me.

I never knew people like her parents existed. They have given her their blessing to get to know me & to love me. I'm forever grateful to them. And I can tell her mom that on Sunday, in person. She emailed me and we're meeting!! She wants us to get to know each other before, well, before I meet Her. My daughter. No words I could type, can express this feeling. None.

I  know. This is a long post! And there's more. There's a lot more but you have some major cliff notes. I swear it's a lot for me to take in!! It's unreal! Life-altering! And for the first time, not in the negative sense. My heart feels like it's going to burst.

To be continued when I can catch my breath.

xoxo