Whenever I move to a new town or introduce friends to my parents, I am met with stunned reactions. The physical differences between my parents and I are more than noticeable. When I see the looks of astonishment, I know it's time to tell them that I am adopted.

I am from Asuncion, Paraguay, a small country smack-dab in the middle of South America. I was a baby when I was adopted, so I'm no Oliver Twist. However, I am accustomed to the sympathetic looks and questions like, "I'm so sorry, Melissa. Did your mother not want you?" In actuality, my biological mother loved me deeply, and I would like to think that she still does. In fact, she loved me so much that she realized that I would not have access to the life that I deserved in South America.

To my biological parents, I have never met you, and I don't even know your names, but I would like to thank you. Perhaps neither of you will ever read this article, but I wish to share why I say thank you instead of having hatred in my heart for your letting me go.

Thank you for showing me what true love is. I didn't understand what I did to make you not want me when I was younger. Why did you give up your own child? Did you not want a girl? Did you want a blonde child? I was sorely wrong. You did not hate me; you were selfless, and you knew that you were not capable of and did not have the resources to care for a child. You loved me enough to let me go and let another family take over and give me the tools I needed to become the young woman I am today. I am a college graduate, a concert pianist, a writer, a chocolate lover, a friend and a sister (Alpha Chi Omega). I've worked for a Congressman, traveled the world, and learned languages - the list goes on. I am thankful for the life that I was given, for it has helped shape me into someone I am proud to be.

Thank you for giving me a family. Because of you, God blessed me with a family that is just as awkward and odd as I am. They have supported me and will continue to support me in anything and everything I wish to do. If you've ever worried about whether I went to a good family, I did. I never have felt like an outcast in my own home. God gave them to me for a reason. I was chosen, and I am loved.

Thank you for choosing a closed adoption. You gave a family the greatest blessing they could have ever wanted, a child. Maybe one day, our paths will cross, but today, as a 22-year-old, I am not ready to meet you. That does not mean I won't or don't think of you, because I do. I've always wondered what you two look like and what your occupations are. I even consider my medical history. Could I have a history of heart disease? (Hopefully not!) I will tell you that I am happy, and I am thankful.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to pursue my passions and future career. I will be able to help others and give them a better life in the area of human rights, specifically women against sexual violence. I make people aware of what is going on in the world, and I have a voice, which is something that I would not have had in a patriarchal society.

If I stayed in Paraguay, I would have married at a young age, had children and received an education only up to the elementary level. Instead, you have given me an opportunity to be the best woman that I can be. You made a sacrifice, which I know broke your heart. It takes a strong person to chose to put their child up for adoption. I feel your love everyday. You saved my life.

I am happy, I am healthy, I am loved and I am the product of your sacrifice. Thank you.