My Story

"You're adopted?!  I don't believe it!  You're lying!" she exclaimed

"I really am, I promise!" I replied.

"NO WAY! You look too much like your Mom!  You must be joking!" she continued.

"I'm not!  I'm really not!  I am adopted!" I answered, getting a little frustrated.  Nobody ever believes me, I thought!

This conversation has been repeated in various ways probably a MILLION times over my lifetime.  This particular conversation took place with my friend, Cortney, in her mom's car after school one day.

Almost every time I share that I am adopted, I almost always am asked, "how did you find out?"  And honestly, I can't really answer because I don't remember being told I was adopted.  I think they expect me to have a dramatic story of how I felt discarded and unwanted, or that I have this overwhelming desire to know who my "real" parents are.  I don't have either of those issues. 

My parents did an excellent job of explaining how they got me without making it seem unusual or strange. I think part of the reason they did so well with this is because they both have brothers who were adopted.

And I know who my "real" parents are.  They are Bruce and Karen Nay.  Many people don't understand, at least at first, that there isn't any difference between being raised by biological parents or adoptive parents.  Unless of course, your parents stink and make it different!  I don't feel like my experience with my parents has been or is any different from other people who were actually born to their parents. 

In fact, in some ways, I think our relationship is closer.  My parents had to go through a lot before they got me.  They had to wait 8 years before my adoption went through.  Half of that time was spent trying to conceive.  They both went through a bunch of various, unplesant, medical procedures to help with that.   I think that those trials it made getting me just that much more special!

So I am always confused when people make adoption such a large, controversial issue in life.  Maybe I'm just a lucky one, and extremely blessed, but I've had no issues with it in my life.  Maybe other children aren't as lucky as I am to have as wonderful parents as I have!