I always thought it was strange that the state could reinvent a person's identity and claim it as the truth. My mother kept my original birth certificate in a safe deposit box. I didn't see it until I was in my 50s when my parents asked me to close out the safe deposit and retrieve what was in it. I'm guessing she hid from me because of her shame of being unwed.
Hi Doreen, Thank you for your comment. Absolutely the entire process is fraught. In my case, church and state had the agreement. Who knows why that was thought to be legal?
I’m not able to get any records from California. It’s very frustrating. Thank you for sharing this and loved the poem. 💞
It is so frustrating with California and other states. Are you familiar with
Adoptees' United? Great for keeping up on the legislation. Thanks so much!
It’s so frustrating! I’m pretty sure I follow adoptees unite but I’ll make sure. Thank you!
I always thought it was strange that the state could reinvent a person's identity and claim it as the truth. My mother kept my original birth certificate in a safe deposit box. I didn't see it until I was in my 50s when my parents asked me to close out the safe deposit and retrieve what was in it. I'm guessing she hid from me because of her shame of being unwed.
Hi Doreen, Thank you for your comment. Absolutely the entire process is fraught. In my case, church and state had the agreement. Who knows why that was thought to be legal?
Best, Mel
Thanks for this post, Mary Ellen. Your efforts have always helped me resolve these issues in my head. I just posted a piece on my adoption and how it shaped me here on Substack: https://tedleonhardt.substack.com/p/adoption-series-the-session