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For international adoptees, meeting your birth mother is a life-long dream. For me, however, this dream will never become a reality. I came to the United States in 1988; I was two years old. The first two years of my life, I was in various orphanages and foster homes in Santiago, Chile. After finding a family in America who wished to adopt me, it took two years for the adoption process to be complete.
My life in America was turbulent as my teenage years hit. I was married at 21 to my college sweetheart, and my life truly began from there. My husband and I switched to a number of different colleges, but my greatest life moment was finding my birth family in Chile at the age of 25. Thanks to a wonderful international adoptee that started a group Chile Search in yahoo, I was able to reconnect with my whole family by the age of 25. I began my initial search 2 years prior.
Since the age of 25, it has been an emotional whirlwind getting to know the family that was left behind. My birth mother spoke with me frequently, but the major emotional connection I made was with one of my sisters, Luzmira. Because of Luzmira, we have developed a bi-lingual language of communication. She is teaching me Spanish, and I am teaching her English.
It felt like my life had finally come together. I had initial plans to go and reunite with my birth family when I was 26, but I did not have the sufficient funds to do so. Now, here I am 2 years later, still in the same position, except with a couple new additions. I have a Bachelors degree in General Psychology with a Minor in Social and Criminal Justice from Ashford University. Additionally, this past June, I have successfully completed all my courses for my Masters in Mediation and Conflict Resolution from the University of the Rockies.
However, on July 3, 2014, I received news that would destroy my world forever. My birth mother had passed away at 1:30 in the afternoon. My sister, Luzmira was the one to deliver the news to me. I fell apart; the first person on this Earth who had loved me was in the grave, and I would never get the chance to thank her for her sacrifice.
Because of my birth mother, I grew up with luxuries that were only dreams in Santiago, Chile. I got a wonderful education, had a loving family and most of all, I met the man who changed my life. As I franticly tried to secure plans to see my mothers funeral, it dawned on me that I have no means of funding. While searching at various agencies, I found little solace in my search.
However, as my birth mother always told me, through God all things are possible. I believe I will secure the necessary funding to put my mother to rest in her hometown. I believe that my family and I will reconnect, and everything in my life will be as it should. And finally, I believe that my mother will look down from Heaven and see the legacy she has left behind.
Rest in Peace, Mama҅I will see you again, I promise.7/3/2015
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