Adoption - My Life on Paper

My Life on Paper

By:

Lauren Wright

November 2, 2005

Mrs. Dutton's Period 4 English Class

My Life on Paper

Do you ever yell, "I wish I were adopted!" when arguing with your parents? If it were me, I would be yelling, "I wish I weren't adopted." I am adopted and the emotion that comes with it follows people their entire lives. So I hope after you hear my story, you will think twice before yelling that at your parents again.

Being adopted I have always had to live with the classic "what ifs" that I thought about everyday. I know that where I am now is great. Big house, food, clothes, my own room, the typical annoying older brother. And yet I know there is something missing. I always used to wish I could meet my birthparents. When I was younger I used to think that it would have been neat to live with my birthparents. But now that I know more about how unstable things were I have to think about the outcome more. My mom told me about how my birthfather had a drinking problem. I wouldn't want to grow up in an environment with that kind of substance abuse and the possibility of my birthfather being violent when intoxicated. Now though, I feel different about that all together.

Even though there were "what ifs" I always had some information about my adoption. While growing up, the fact that I was adopted never really bothered me. When I would tell my fellow classmates that I was adopted I usually got the same look of surprise and the classic "So you were in an orphanage and then some one came and chose you?" This of course would follow with me trying to explain over and over what it means to be adopted and that they would never really get it. Eventually if the subject somehow came up I would simply say, "It's complicated to explain." My parents never tried to hide the fact that I was adopted we just never talked about it that much. Sure I would ask some questions, but I didn't think about it as much as I do now. My mom gave me more information recently about my birthparents that made me see everything if my life different. Becoming mature I have different feelings about