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56. Passing Through Reunion Station
Life is certainly a lot more complicated today than
in the early 1970's when we used to sit down and read
the children's story books titled
Whv Was I Adooted?
and
The Pretty House that Found Happiness
to our
young children. Open adoptions of the 1990's are a far
cry from the confidentiality and secrecy involved in
closed adoptions of yesteryear.
I recently read a book titled
Birthbond
which
chronicled reunions of several dozen adult adopted
children with their birthmothers.
I
had good reason to
read it as our son was about to be reunited as a young
adult with his birthmother. The momentum toward
reunion was driven in part by his concerns as a
medical student, and as a new daddy himself, for a
more complete health history, and also by his
birthmother's medical situation as a recent cancer
survivor.
Together, and over two years, we tiptoed into and
through the reunion visits which went very well indeed.
It
was almost as if we were attending a class reunion
after two decades and doing some power catching up
on everyone's lives. The results were very good. More
recently, we went through a similar reunion experience
with our youngest child, also when she was in her mid-
20's. Every case is different. Events come into play,
setting things in motion. Reunions can interrupt lives
and redefine relationships in both positive and negative
ways.
I
don't bind our approach on anyone; it's a free
country.
THAT SPECIAL GIFT
There is a girl that I do not know.
I don't even know her name.
I would never recognize her face,
but I love her just the same.
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