Tennessee Reunion | An Adoption Story
64 years ago, my mom was born in Tennessee and adopted by a wonderful couple in Pennsylvania. My mom always knew she was adopted, but never felt the need to explore her biological roots. A small file folder containing brief descriptions about her birth parents and correspondence between the adoption facilitators was all she had. She never questioned the validity of the folder's contents until she watched a made-for-TV movie, Stolen Babies, about the illegal activity occurring at the Tennessee Children's Home, under the leadership of Georgia Tann. Years later she would read, The Baby Thief, which sent her curiosity soaring to know the truth of her origins. With the help of a Florida-based detective agency, my mom sought only to learn if the information she had in her possession was factual. On, December 12, 2013, my mom received a phone call informing her the "information is accurate, and we know where your birth mother is." Relieved to know the status of her adoption history was correct, she was now experiencing a new anxiety - "knowing my mother is alive, what do I do next?" Chris, the case manager, and my mom discussed options for proceeding. They decided that he would call Paula, her birth mother, to make the initial contact. He would tell her my mom's reason for contacting the agency and that she would be open to contact with her if Paula felt the same. Three days passed before Chris called my mom to tell her that he was unable to reach Paula. At this point he suggested that my mom write her a letter, and she did just that. Paula received the letter on December 17th. My mom was about to leave for the Christmas Eve service at church when she received a call from her sister, Susie. She and her other sister, Amy, had just learned of my mom's existence! She spoke with Susie first, then Paula, and then Amy. My mom has difficulty describing the amount of joy overflowing in that moment, and what a Christmas gift it was for everyone involved. On January 1st, she received a call from her brother, Greg, as he had just been given the news. And so the talk of a reunion began! What started as a plan for a big ol' family trip this summer quickly turned into "I just have to meet them now!"
My mom took off for Tennessee on January 17, 2014, with my dad behind the wheel, unknowing how this reunion would change her life forever...
"I'm six hours from Nashville when the quiet panic set in. So many emotions… I didn't know how to react. Everything that I was about to experience was so unknown. So many questions… would they like me? Will they accept me? What will we do when we see each other? What will we talk about? Will it be awkward? I just kept wondering. On the morning of our meeting I kept thinking about my mom and how she was feeling that morning. I can imagine that she was probably going through the same waves of panic that I was. I found myself holding my breath, catching my breath. There was so much excitement and anticipation. I felt like I was jumping out of my skin!
I first meet Greg - such joy! I keep staring at him looking for resemblances. He tells me I'm beautiful… I'm hugging him and he feels so warm, so comfortable."
"Seeing my mom for the first time, seeing the big smile on her face, brought me such relief, such joy, and such comfort. And then I meet Amy. I see resemblances right away! I can't believe the overwhelming love that I am getting from everyone!"
"The day went so fast. We looked at pictures, told stories, asked questions, laughed a lot, cried a little, and ate (oh Shelvi, it was fantastic!). It was so hard to say goodbye. I just wanted more time to get to know them. But, I know I will go back soon. It took several days for me to come down from my high, now feeling such peace and calmness, and so much love."
The next reunion will be Memorial Day weekend! Looking forward to seeing everyone again and getting to know members of the family we have yet to meet. Happy Mother's Day!