It’s after midnight, which means today is my 57th birthday. Growing up as an adoptee, I always celebrated my birthday without questioning it.
But today, I thought…
- is today really my real birthday? If so,
- what time was I born?
- where was I born?
- who gave birth to me?
- who is my birth father?
- do I have siblings?
- what about my extended families?
So many unknown questions going through my head right now. As I’m thinking about these questions, I have tears in my eyes and in my heart for the little baby who was told later that she was found on the street by a policeman, who then took her to an orphanage, where she grew up for 10 years until she was adopted at almost 11 years of age. I feel so sad for that baby, having lost her family just months after she was born. Did she lose her birth family forever or will she find them one day? She feels like time is running out as years pass by.
Back to my present life.
I feel blessed to…
- live here in Maryland,
- have three independent grown kids of my own,
- have two jobs that I love,
- live in an apartment that I love with my two pets,
- have a sister in Colorado,
- have an extended family in Ohio,
- have my KAD (Korean Adoptee) community,
- have my church community,
- and have my amazing friends and co-workers throughout my life.
I am happy today is my special day.
About the Author: Ginny Wahl was adopted from an orphanage in Korea in 1973. Currently, she has three grown children and works at a public school as a teacher. She went back to Korea for the first time in 2015. She loved it so much that she went back again in 2016 and 2017.
