Since Wild Bill and I were married in 2003 whenever asked about kids I always reply that "We have eight grown children between us as well as eight grandchildren". Prior to August 1997 when anyone asked me if I had children I would always reply, "No".
The thing that happened in August of 1997 was the most unexpected thing I could ever possibly have imagined. It reversed a deep pain of loss that I had been carrying with me for over 32 years, the pain of giving up my beautiful daughter for adoption after seeing her for only a few moments after her birth.
It's a long story, too long for a blog, and it includes my handsome son who was also given up for adoption at birth. These two precious babies were given to families that would love and raise them at a time when I was still a kid myself. Yet in the summer of 1997 my grown daughter and my adult son, raised by two different families on opposite sides of the country and unknown to each other, both tried to track me down. What are the odds of that? My daughter was successful in finding me. My son, who got as far as standing in front of a judge in the state he as born in, was not able to locate me. After my daughter and I met, through a search consultant that she hired, I found my son with the same help. They both said the exact same thing to me within minutes of our very first conversation by phone. It went something like this: "Thank you so much for giving me to such a great family". I cried when my daughter told me that and I may have when I spoke to my son, I don't recall.
It is now almost 12 years since I met my two beautiful grown children who now have four children of their own between them. I consider their parents, who did such a great job of raising them, dear friends and I will be forever grateful to them for being the families that chose my children to love and cherish as their own.
I have heard stories of birth parents and adopted children and their parents not getting along. We are all so fortunate, and I am extremely grateful, that we have had many opportunities to meet, eat and spend time together. My children's parents are all amazing and wonderful people! If I had hand picked parents for my two children I could not have chosen any better parents for them!
As I mentioned I have six other great kids. Each one is a treasure and a joy. I love all eight kids, their spouses and heir wonderful children as thought they were mine all along! Prior to 1997 I never expected to have any children, let alone grandchildren, in my life! I am truly Blessed!
With love and gratitude,
Dyann
