A lot of people ask me what being adopted means to me. My answer is the same every single time. Nothing.

For some, it can affect your everyday life and you contemplate so many questions. For me, do I have some questions? Yes, but they don’t interfere with the life I’m currently living.

The way I see it, I would rather live the life I have now than contemplate what could have been.

There are things I want to know, like my medical history. On every doctor’s evaluation, you're asked about family history, but I don’t know mine.

It makes it hard sometimes because I really am unsure of what runs in my family. I don’t know what I might be in danger of, so I live with the thought that it could be anything.

To put things in perspective, for me, my family and my parents are those who raised me. My mom is the one who stood by my side through the rough patches and taught me what it was to be strong and independent. My dad is the one who supported me through all of my endeavors and taught me kindness and compassion. My brother is the one who put up with my craziness and taught me perseverance.

My family is the ones who made me who I am today, not those who I share biology with.

Biology plays a part in any person; who and how they are raised contributes so much more. As an educator, I am a big believer in nurture and how the presence you have in your child’s life helps shape them into the person they are.

I know without my parents and brother, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

There will always be questions that linger, but for me personally, I love who I am because I love the family that raised me.