A Dream Come True

It has been more than a year since I have posted anything to my blog.  I finally have a reason to sit down and write something. Let me preface this by explaining that for the last 18 plus years I have been on a long journey to find my birth mother. It has been very difficult because things don’t happen quickly in this search, and often end in failure.  I went into this with my eyes open really never expecting to actually find my mother because of my age.  I didn’t believe that she would be alive. But I did hope to maybe find a sibling or two. I was born in Italy which didn’t allow adopted children access to their birth records. Until about two years ago when the laws changed due to public pressure, and from Italian adoption groups. So I petitioned to find my Mother.  After almost a year they agreed to hear my petition. In October of 2017 I got an appointment at the Italian Consulate in Philadelphia and pleaded my case. Then nothing.

Three days ago I received a phone call from the Italian Consulate and they had some news for me. They had found my mother. Unfortunately she had died in 2015. Now that is sad yes but I was prepared for that.  Because she was deceased there was no need to contact her for permission to release information about my existence and get her consent for me to contact her. what was important was her name. The name that was redacted on my Italian birth certificate. Once I had that many opportunities opened up to me. Along with her name and date of birth and death they told me where she died and was buried. In a short span of time with my contacts from an adoption group I belong to. I had a picture of the cemetery, I had a picture of her tomb, and most importantly I had a picture of her which was on the tombstone. I have seen what my mother looked like granted at an advanced age probably from sometime in her seventy’s. she was ninety one when she passed. There were fresh flowers at her grave, and I even had the name of the person who paid for the plot. Possibly a relative maybe a son.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I haven’t had a real family except for the one I made with my wonderful wife. Two beautiful daughters and 6 grandchildren. My adopted family was ok but that is another story for another time. They are all gone now.  I am hopeful that I will find my family but maybe they won’t want to find me. A new journey begins as an old one ends. A dream come true. Wish me luck.

My Mother

My Mothers Tombstone