I wasn't sure if I should blog about this just yet, but it's kind of a big deal for me so I've decided to go ahead and share. Writing about it will help me sort out my feelings about it anyway.
I've had an account on Ancestry.com for awhile, but only recently started to get into it, with being on summer break and all. I've been able to trace parts of my mom's family line back to Ireland, England, France, Canada (am I still allowed to make fun of them?), and of course, Germany. I also traced Studdy Hubby's family back to England in the 1500s as well as Scotland.
On a side note, I got some junk mail the other day addressed to "Rachel Moore". Hasn't anyone informed the post office that she's gone? I briefly considered writing "Deceased" or "Not at this address" on it and tossing it back in the mailbox, but I refrained.
ANYWAY...
With all the searching for records I've been doing, I got to thinking about what records are out there with my name on it. Not many online as it turns out. And then I remembered that I was originally born Rachel Stoddard, my mom's last name after her first marriage, before she married my dad. But when I was born, she hadn't met him yet. When she did about 3 years later, they got married and he legally adopted me. So surely there's a record out there somewhere with my first name, right?
Not on Ancestry.com, well, at least not at this time. I tried doing a general internet search for Michigan adoption records and quickly learned that those are "closed" although the adult adoptee is allowed to request the record.
Hmmm...
A few short clicks, and I was staring at the form necessary to to get that information. It all happened so easily that I couldn't help but feel like this was the right time.
Not long ago, finding my biological father or at least some information on him was hugely important to me. As I've worked through some other issues, I realized I had found peace with not knowing. And at the same time, I realized that I didn't try as hard as I could have to find him, or so it would seem. Otherwise, why wouldn't I have found this form before? What was holding me back? I'm not sure. Maybe there was a part of me that knew I wasn't in the right place to handle the information contained in the record. Maybe it had to wait until I was more at peace with the whole. Only God knows.
Saturday morning, I mailed in the form. They have 63 days to respond. If the father has signed something to where he doesn't want his identity revealed, then they can still share non-identifying information. If he didn't...well, I'm not holding my breath.
So we'll see what some of that. I'm trying to just put it out of my mind until August or until I hear something from them.
Wish me luck!!
-Rachel
P.S. - Check this out: http://dna.ancestry.com/ I want to do this so bad!
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