Catching Up

It has been far too long. I know this. I can only offer apologies and hope that, if anyone is still ever reading here, they will forgive me and know that I will try to do better.

This has been something of an insane year. The flood finally ended, and we got back into the house after only being out for a week. Of course, that began several months of trying to put things back in order.

From that I moved on to summer school, where I was teaching too much and barely go through the five weeks. But I did, just in time for adoption to once more take over my life. I wish I had been posting more. I could have used the outlet, I think.

Ronni and I took a trip to Ireland, one of the lands of my ancestors. Indeed, probably the one place I've really been desperate to go since I learned what my biological heritage is. If anyone is interested, I posted a bunch of pictures and stories from that trip on my other blog, Over a Candle. It was amazing to see that land.

After we got back, I had a couple of weeks to get ready for a conference in Philadelphia where I was to present a paper on Open Records for adoptees. Just as I began to work on that paper, though, I got word that my grandfather, my (adoptive) dad's dad, had passed away. It wasn't a surprise, really, but it meant a scramble to try to get back to Ohio for the funeral.

As it turns out, not only did I manage to make it home for the funeral, but my aunts and uncles asked me to do the eulogy. That was an odd experience. I kept wondering why they wouldn't ask one of the biological grandkids to do it. Of course, I don't think it occurred to them even once. In that way, I realized that I am luckier than some adoptees: I was never made to feel different or second-class in my family. Not every adoptee has had that experience.

After coming back from the funeral I turned almost right around to go to my conference. That was an interesting time. I still hope I might do something more with my paper, and it led me to making a connection with someone who told me about a conference next spring devoted to adoption. So another opportunity to combine my profession with my interest in working on this issue.

Then I had a couple of weeks before the school year started. So what do I do? I find my brother, my biological father's son, on Facebook. After considering it for about an hour, I decided to write him. Now I'm in touch with my father's two sons. That is a whole 'nother can of worms. It's been very good, but I'm still not sure how to move forward with that piece of this gigantic adoption puzzle.

That reunion is the major thing in my adoption life right now. And I need to start writing about it. And I will. Tonight was just about getting any readers we still have left up to date with where I've been and what I've been doing. More to come soon.