where I'm at as an adoptee...

I'd have to say my adoption was a success story over all. I have always felt like I was a part of the afamily (mostly, except my dad.. there was always some distinct distance for him, but I just played that up to the natural born younger brother). the Afamily also was very open about the whole adoption thing. I've known about it every since I can remember. I vaguely remember my amom telling me at the time I was to be adopted there were actually 2 families after my "baby cuteness". Later in life, it definitely added to the "what if" fantasies I'd go through sometimes. When the other sibs would joke with me as a younger kid about being adopted, I at first denied it. But, later in life I grew to embrace it. Unique family :).. some things I was glad I didn't "inherit".. namely the hay fever that adad and sibs all suffered. There were even times my amom and I could joke about not having "that" blood running through our veins when in reference to some of our more "colorful" extended family :). I grew up in a VERY small town in the middle of no where Montana. I remember the county nurse ALWAYS payed special attention to me on her visits, JUST because I was adopted, from my understanding. Also do to the fact that it was such a small town, I think that is why my parents didn't really "hide" things, cause EVERYONE knew your business like it or not. So everyone knew I was adopted, in the entire town. AND, to make things even more fun for my life, I also turned out to be a left hander. Which of course just makes you stand out even more in a crowd. :P but really after the first few years of learning about it, it really became a non-thing. by the time I got to HS, most people still assumed I was a natural born just cause my amom and I looked alike. Now, not saying my life was all roses. There always was this "feeling" that my adad never really saw me as much but someone that he was required to take care of. That.. and this nasty little secret that the aparents still don't know about, concerning a molesting that happened through extended family. I do not blame the afamily for that.. just the freaks who freaks who did it... which is where some of the animosity comes from toward the immediate extended family. There was also this other weird event where my agranfather on my mom's side, stopped setting up trust funds for the grandchildren after my adoption. even my mom thought that was strang.. but in the end it only left out me and my lil bro.. ironically enough.. later in child life, I was his favorite grandchild .. *shrug* lol but yeah.. afamily loves me.. agrandparents all loved me. I will never doubt that to this day. all extended family never treated me really different. Given the options that were available in 1968 I am still thankful that I had the chance at least. Which makes things even weirder, as I am also pro choice.. *shrug* .. still an advocate for adoption, just think people should have the choice of what to do with there bodies. ok.. rambled enough..