Enjoy Your Life While You Wait

 

I’ve been waiting to know who my biological father is for 54
years. It shouldn’t be this way for anyone on the planet. It’s simply absurd that any human being would not know where they come from. But for some of us,
it’s reality. And, as wonderful as your current life may be, you still want to know where it all originated.  

I’ve had some sad days in the journey of waiting to
know my bio father, or know about him if he’s no longer living or rejects me. But long ago I decided I wasn’t going to let it
steal my joy.  

 

Ziplining with my family in Mexico.

Life is never problem free. So, we’ve got learn to enjoy our life even
though we have troubles.


 

Doing my Titanic pose in Guatemala last year.

I’ve been waiting so long to know who my bio father is, it’s hard to imagine not being in the circumstance anymore of not knowing who I come from. But that day is coming.

As I wait for it,  I’m going to enjoy the heck out of life.

 I make it a point to celebrate everything from the mundane to the
miraculous. 

I savor my first cup of coffee in the morning and actually
start thinking about it the night before. (Yes, seriously. Sometimes I break down and make a cup at night even though I know the caffeine isn’t a good idea.) I never get tired of the coffee bar my husband surprised me with a few years ago when I came home from Africa. It’s never lost on me what an amazing man he is to do this for me.

 


Speaking of my husband, he’s been mine for 33 years of marriage and two years of dating. We still enjoy each other. Plenty of people complained during the pandemic that their partner was driving them crazy and they couldn’t wait to get out of the house. Not us. We found out, we still like each other. 

From an itty bitty studio apartment our first year of marriage where we didn’t have two nickels to rub together…to now when we are blessed beyond belief…

 

We are still happy.

 

This was my face when he surprised me on my birthday two years ago with an upgrade to a suite on our cruise. I was happy during the early days of marriage when I was figuring out how to make a package of four pieces of chicken last an entire week.  I would mix it with a few potatoes, onions and a can of  tomatoes and stew it. It got us through and we were loving life.

I’m just as happy now when he’s surprising me with crazy nice stuff but if it all went away tomorrow, I would still be happy. It’s not about material things, but I’m thankful for everything. 

I treasure every moment with my family. I can’t wait to do the
next thing with them.

Family Cruise to Alaska 2019

Jordan, Tori and Mila

Livvy and Brody

I adore our sweet puppy.

 

Manchester Shrodes


Manny is my unofficial support animal, my official snuggle buddy and nap partner.

I take time to really celebrate every success at work before
moving on to the next project.   

Thrive 2019 at the Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach


I am mindful with every class I take at SEU what a blessing it is to have the opportunity to further my education . I am
appreciative of every moment with my classmates, knowing that we won’t always have
these times together as a group. We will graduate in May 2022 and our lives
will go on. 

 

 

As much as I love to travel and explore, I take joy in being at home relaxing on a rainy day, reading books from another special space Larry created for me.

 


 Books have ALWAYS made me happy…


Yes, this is really me, taking every opportunity to read.

Walking outdoors and bike riding always makes me feel on top of the world. Like I could do anything, and solve the world’s problems. 

Bike riding in Alaska –  2019.

Bath bombs,
body butter, and the coziness of candlelight make me really happy. Actually, ridiculously happy. I light candles every day at our home.

I am fond of creating meals for our family or going out to dinner. I get excited just to set the table. Taking photos is a regular thing, like with the eggplant this past week that I made for us to celebrate Lexi’s homeschooling accomplishments with the kids.

 


I don’t have to wait until I have found my bio father and paternal
family to enjoy life to the fullest. But that doesn’t mean I don’t really want to find them. There is always that longing no matter how happy I am. I’ve spoken to hundreds of adoptees about this, and find a lot of agreement on this. 

Speaking of finding my paternal family…

There are more leads right now.

We are getting closer.

We never give up.

Ever.

I have the best friends who join me in working on the search.
They have been faithful for years, especially Gayle Lechner, my favorite minion. She is still not done overturning every stone in Richmond, Virginia and I love that she won’t ever stop. 

Gayle

We ask the questions and believe for answers. We pray to find kind, helpful people who understand. Most of
the time we do.  When we don’t, I remind
myself that nothing worth it is every easy.

If you are an adoptee and you are searching, I
encourage you to enjoy your life while you
are waiting. 

Our family jumping for joy, back when the kids were in high school.

If you have already finished your search and experience
secondary rejection (been there, done that) you can also enjoy your life
despite that terrible reality you face. There is life after secondary
rejection. That’s another post for another day. 

No matter what circumstance you face, delight in the sweet
parts of your life. 

You’ve already lost enough. Hold on to happiness like a hair on a grilled cheese sandwich!!

Fun moment with the Guatemala missions team last year. Favorite day!

 

Related Posts

I’m Afraid to Fall in Love

  My possible new Greek
family member who for now here on the blog I will call Angela, has completed
her DNA test and mailed it in.  Angela has fallen in
love with me as a possible family member. I feel a pull in the exact same
direction but I am fearful. I am scared of my heart being broken and just as
much, I don’t want to disappoint her. And then in the midst of all these
feelings I stop to think, “Someone is this excited about ME???”  

The Greek Orthodox
church is the center of this family’s life. It runs very deep and just how deep
I cannot disclose here yet because it would give the identities away…  but I will
just say it’s everything to them. When I talked to Mr. Spin the other night on the phone for an hour, the majority of it was about the church. And he doesn’t even know I’m a Christian.  Angela wants me to come for Greek Easter
there. It’s not the same Sunday as American Easter. It is always a month later.
That makes it so great for me, as if I went to share Easter with them, I wouldn’t have to miss what is the biggest
Sunday of the year for our church here, to go there. Greek Easter (Pascha) is
also their biggest week of the year, and a time of great commemoration and
feasting. Angela was literally in tears telling me about it and wanting me to
experience it with them.

So I’m hearing all this
on the phone and my heart is saying, “Yeeeeeeeeesssssss!” and at the same time
there’s a part of me that realizes if we are not a match, it is going to change
all of this.

Angela says we can
always be friends and do all this even if we are not a match.I know all this. I’m grateful for all this. But it’s still going to kill me emotionally. Angela is already
texting, “I love you,” and I reciprocate and at the same time I feel afraid.
Then I tell myself, “At least I am not temporarily wrecking someone’s life this
time…”

In times past there
have been people who I thought may be my bio family and they have have DNA tested for me and if we were a match, it would have
confirmed their family member’s affair or something that at least one person in
the family would be devastated by. This time there is not that factor. There is
no one, at least alive, who would be hurt by a match on the DNA test. I am grateful
for that.

A friend of mine posted
this meme this morning on our leadership page, that failure is part of the
process and people who avoid failure also avoid success. It was right on time
for me.  I can’t ever find out who my bio
father is if I avoid approaching people, connecting with them, getting them to
DNA test, and facing possible failures to get a match. This will never happen without
me putting my heart out there once again.

It’s hard to put into
words the emotional toll this takes on an adoptee. Last night I called Regina
(who has done literally thousands of hours of research on my behalf and is the
one who found this family) and talked through my feelings. I said, “give me the list again of all the circumstantial evidence as to why we believe Mr. Spin is my father?” She did. And then, she could tell I was
really on edge and offered to pray for me, which was so
appreciated.

Last night I had a
nightmare that I didn’t have enough vacation time to go see my bio father, and
Angela if we were a match. (Which is not the case, I have plenty of time.) I
had this overwhelming depressive cloud over me this morning of wanting to stay
in bed and not get out, concerned about a non-match and disappointing Angela. And me.  My
husband talked me through that and I got out of bed and started my day.My mind is in a zillion
different directions today, but at the end of the day I’m realizing it’s
probably best for me to just fall hard for Angela and her family and embrace
them for all it’s worth. If it’s the real thing, I have given myself the full
experience of celebrating my paternal family in a worthy way and enjoying what should be wildly celebrated. If I allow myself the full experience of following my heart and loving them, I will have avoided cheating
myself of this experience due to the fear of “what if.”  On the flip side, if we are not a match, I will have to go
through the process of healing from yet another disappointment and starting
back again at square one. (I hate square one!!!) I guess it’s not actually square
one when you think about the fact that if it’s not a match we have ruled out
yet another Greek family in Richmond and have learned something in the process,
but for me if sure feels like square one.

So, my thought today
is, I’m going to allow myself to fall in love with this Greek family even
though there’s a chance I might need a case of Kleenex, a Razzleberry pie,
therapy and a week’s vacation to get on my feet again when the test results
come back.    Last night I started watching the services of their Greek Orthodox church on Facebook. I want to learn as much as I can about their customs and way of worship before I visit in person.

I love you too, Angela,
I love you too.

Ep 15. Heart-to-Heart: Connecting Across Generations in Adoption with Alana Nicol

In this engaging conversation, Alana Nicol opens up about her personal journey through adoption, both as an adopted child and as an adoptive parent. She shares the unique challenges and joys that come with being part of an adoptive family, emphasizing the importance of open communication and connection. Alana discusses her daughter’s experience, the cultural dynamics they navigate, and the evolving nature of identity in their lives. Throughout the conversation, she provides valuable insights and advice for those considering or already involved in adoption, encouraging openness, understanding, and the embracing of diverse family narratives.

Ep.10 Unbreakable Bonds: Dan’s Story of Connection with His Biological Family

In this compelling podcast episode titled “Unbreakable Bonds: Dan’s Story of Connection with His Biological Family,” we delve into the inspiring journey of Dan Nelson, whose life was profoundly shaped by adoption. Join us as we explore Dan’s remarkable story of adoption and the emotional reunion that forged unbreakable bonds with his biological family. Discover the twists and turns of his path, the significance of his mother’s Lutheran faith, and how he ultimately found a deeper sense of identity and belonging through this extraordinary journey of self-discovery. This episode is a heartwarming testament to the enduring power of family, love, and the unbreakable bonds that unite us all.

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