Being adopted from China at such a young age has never been a huge deal for me. I always knew I was adopted because my Mom was always open and honest with me about it. She always kept this as a positive part of my life. I never felt ashamed to be adopted. In fact, I've always been proud to share my story. Many people ask me a lot of questions about where I'm from and how my family formed but they always ask if I'm okay with talking about it. I'm always open to talking about it with anyone who is interested. Unfortunately, not every adopted child shares my blessings.
There's a part of me that wishes I knew more about my birth family, but not for the reasons you'd think. The only reason I've ever wondered about my birth parents is because I want to know what they look like. I want to know what traits I got from who and if they're a reflection of what I'll look like when I'm older. I also want to know how big my birth family is. How many siblings do I have? If any? How are they similar to me? What personality traits did they pass down to me?
On a different scale, I'm more curious about medical history. Will I have a high blood pressure when I'm older? I've always had chronic migraines growing up and my Mom and doctor wondered if it was genetic. I'm also prone to getting lots of canker sores in my mouth which is also said to be genetic.
Everyone always asks if I have abandonment issues or any resentment towards my birth parents. The answer is no, never. I used to wonder why they had given me up for adoption and it would make me sad to know that I might not ever meet them. But I was never angry at them for giving me up. My mindset was, they never knew me or had any idea of what I would grow up to be so it was never personal. I may never know the reasoning behind their decision, but I'm lucky they led me to be where I am now.
If I had the opportunity to meet them of course I would take it, but it's not something I would dedicate my life to doing. I'm more than happy with the family and life I have now and it's something I will always be thankful for.
