One of their granddaughters and I were one year apart in age and became good friends. Beckley, who would have their children and grandchildren over often for weekend long visits. Living right next door to us was an elderly couple, Mr. I believe it all started in 1991 when my family and I moved from the L.A. Even though I allowed sin to enter in, God still had a perfect plan for me and what was in store.Įven though I allowed sin to enter in, God still had a perfect plan for me. I am a Roe v Wade survivor.Īnd he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. I am alive not because a government protected my unalienable right to life, but because my momma made the choice to give me the opportunity to exist. I have been able to stand next to my younger brother and sister in their weddings, and have a deep and meaningful relationship with my California family. I now have a younger adopted brother, I married my high school sweetheart 9 years ago, and have brought soon to be four little girls into this world. This coming Mother's Day mar ks the ten-year anni versary of talking to my momma. I learned that, despite a government offering an inexpensive way to end my life, many others that encouraged her to end this unexpected pregnancy, and little outside support my mother chose to protect my life and find a family that would raise me as their own. my mother chose to protect my life and find a family that would raise me as their own. We talked for two straight hours where I discovered, to my surprise, that I had a younger brother and two younger sisters. She sweetly said, 'Hello?' My halting response of, 'Mom' left the line dead for what seemed like hours. In that moment, my heart nearly stopped when I heard my momma's voice for the first time. With emotions overflowing, I dialed that number on Mother's Day 2003. Thanks to this man's help and some information from my parents, I was able to track down the mediator who had connected my birth mother with my adopted parents. As part of the Special Forces unit, I had access to an individual whose civilian job was in private investigation. Seven years later, I was in the Army stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. My halting response of, 'Mom' left the line dead for what seemed like hours. Who was this woman? What might she be like? Did she share my gregarious personality? Because I could tell that my dad was uncomfortable with this conversation, I asked little about my birth mother over the next few years yet my heart yearned for more information. He explained that I was adopted, that my birth mother had extenuating circumstances that made her feel that I would be better off with a family that would be able to better care for me.

That day, I a sked my dad why I was so different from the rest of my family. In stark contrast, the rest of my family was shorter, pale, and had personalities completely different than mine. I was twelve years old, tan, lean, and quite tall for my age.

Choice Summer by Shirley Brinkerhoff