Finding

After putting the search on hold for most of this year I am restarting the search and looking into tracing DNA through a test. I have always been curious to find out stuff about my family...you know genes and all that cool stuff. Need prayers :)

My Less than Final Decision

I have decided to postpone the search for my birth family.

I am happy and sad. While I have an insatiable craving to know my roots I have a great understanding that I am only one among millions of adoptees on this planet at one time. To find one's roots as an adoptee can be an honor given to many, a burden to some, but a privledge given to few. Only other adoptees will understand this.

Its time will come.

I have been blessed with so much. What is unique is that I have ties to four families which is pretty damn cool if you ask me!

To be blessed with these circumstances is unique and will be my story for now.. I pray for the gazillion other adoptees out there who struggle now and years from now. Especially those my age. Someday I wish to help them in their search. A favorite quote/ prayer of mine sums up what I think about helping other adoptees..

"Oh God thy sea is very big and and my boat very small."

-Henry

February 2014

I am in contact with a source that hopefully will lead me in a search for my birth family.



I think a lot about what my birth family may look like. (Am I more like my birth father or mother)

I also think a lot about if they think of me on the same level that I think about them.

I also think about if they know or understand the sacrifice that my birth mother made.

I think a lot about what it would be like to meet them.

I think a lot about their past and current circumstances.
 

I most of all pray that I will hear their story someday...

THE NEXT STEP

In addition to the small steps i am taking behind the scenes there is one public one i have decided to take..

In 2005 when I first returned to FANA my file was "declassified" or in other words was made available to me for the first time in 20 years, I was made aware that I had older siblings.

In this day and age when almost everyone is on social media of some sort I find it hard to believe that my siblings never tried to search me out at some point.

I have decided to create a facebook profile with my birth name given to me from Sept. 1984-Fall 1985.

If at any time my biological siblings decide to search me out on facebook( given that they were provided my birth name by my birth mother) they will most likely find me.
 

A little background..

- My journey started roughly thirty years ago in Bogota Colombia. I was born on September 2nd, 1984 and placed for adoption at FANA in Bogota. I was cared for by wonderful nurses and the late Mercedes Martinez the founder of FANA. I went through the abandonment process with the name Javier Cortes and was placed in 1985 with a wonderful family from New Brighton, MN USA and arrived in Minnesota on July 18th, 1985. My name was changed to Henry Abel.

I was an only child for approximately two years when my parents adopted a second son from the same orphanage. Then five years later a third son came along to our family the old fashioned way and completed our family of five.

Growing up I was surrounded by fellow adoptees and even some of my own cousins who are adopted and could somewhat relate. I attended K- 8th grade at a private catholic school then 9th-12th grade at the public school level and my experience was good. I had heard stories of other adoptees not as fortunate as I. They had experienced racism, and other forms of disrespect either because they looked different or because they were adopted. And for a few of them this didn't stop at school as they had to deal with it within their own families.

I had always wondered about my birth family growing up but I never asked too many questions because either I had no interest or I was kept too busy by school or other activities to think too much about it. As I've reached adulthood and questioned life and things that happen around me and the future I have reached a point where these questions about my early years and my birth family have made their way from the back of my consciousness to the front.. Like waves that start out way out in the middle of the ocean and eventually wash up on the shore of a beach. I have decided to start the search for my birth family as many others have before me. Whether I am successful or not this will be a learning experience for me.

My intent of this blog is to document and so myself and others may follow my search for my birth family. They, most especially my birth mother gave me life and chose to place me for adoption so I can one day live a better life than what they could provide. I owe my life to them and the choice they made for me early on.

This blog is where I will keep up to date the journey and the steps I will take. I appreciate the support of family and friends.

Sincerely, Henry