[Tenorchick]

It was October 31, 2002 when I dropped three copies of a letter into the mailbox, each one with a different name and address printed carefully on the envelope. My A-parents had given me what little information they had about my birthmother (we knew nothing about my birthfather at the time), and after doing a little research on my own, I came up with the names of three people who may or may not be related to my birthmother. Swallowing my fear and summoning all the courage I could muster, I made three copies of a letter I had written to my birthmother years before. It was originally a creative piece that I had written and gotten published, an adopted child's letter to the birthparents she had never met, but I had decided when I first wrote it that I would send it to my birthparents if I ever got the chance. And so, I crossed my fingers and held my breath as I watched my letters disappear into the mailbox that cold Halloween morning, knowing that from that moment on, my life might never be the same.

Less than two weeks later, I received an email from my birthmother. I'm pretty sure that my heart stopped beating as I opened the email and read: "Girl, I have waited 22 years for that letter you just sent me!" I never thought it was possible to feel so many conflicting emotions at one time! I was thrilled and terrified, happy and overwhelmed all at once. As I read the rest of the email, I learned that my parents had actually been high school sweethearts in a tiny Nebraska town just a few hours north of where I grew up and went to high school. My birthmother, now living in Arizona, had four other children, ranging in age from 18 - 4 and my birthfather was married with two kids of his own, ages 7 and 4, living in Colorado. Growing up with only an adopted sister who was a year older than me, I was overwhelmed by the idea of suddenly having seven siblings (which recently became a grand total of 11 with my birthmother's recent remarriage)!

A few days after the initial email I was speaking to my birthmother on the phone for the first time. Hearing her voice for the first time was so strange, because I could have sworn that she sounded eerily familiar (I didn't realize it until someone else pointed it out to me, but our voices sound almost exactly the same). We met for the first time in early December 2002. My A-parents were there with me as I saw her for the first time. I turned around and there she was, standing there smiling at me. And as I gazed at her I realized that I was looking at my own face, into my own eyes! She forwarded my letter onto my birthfather who I contacted and met a few months later. Once again my A-parents were right there by my side as I set eyes on my birthfather for the very first time and spent the day getting to know a little more about him. Looking back on those hectic few months now, it seems that it was almost too perfect.

It's been a little over a year now since my life changed so completely. Since then I've spent vacations at both my birthparents houses. I've had a great time getting to know all my siblings. I've met grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends. I thought I had a big family before, and now suddenly it has more than tripled in size! But I think the best part of it all was May 2003 when my Mom and Dad, grandma, and birthparents all gathered to cheer me on as I received my college diploma. When my name was called and I took the mandatory stroll across the stage, I looked out into the audience to the group who stood yelling and cheering. And my heart swelled with joy as that image of them there together burned itself forever into my memory.

And even now, I can't help but wonder how it is that one girl deserves so much joy. But I try not to question it, and I just keep thanking God that we all have this time together. And with the passing of the days we all only love each other more--me and all my parents, and the families united.