Who Am I Really?

Kennon was raised by in the lumber town of Mattawa, Canada, where he was one of the only people of color in the community. Growing up in a predominantly white community, he later had trouble assimilating into the black and Jamaican communities when he moved to Toronto. Struggling to find himself, Kennon journeyed to the land of his roots, Jamaica, discovered Rastafarianism, and ultimately found the love and acceptance he missed his entire life. The post 050 – Dem Smell De Blood, They Know Who You Are appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Kennon: (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/pPWZfkUaOhJamoQpBvB3UZukNfFEyFz9BC3lcwPi25SPKVf4FiIzuHnI4y9SshrE_ePwtSCcw249AzwM_cL_3JzQX4I?loadFrom=PastedDeeplink&ts=5.24 (00:05)) She just said, like, I'm so sorry for everything that happened to you. If I knew that just I would have gone to Canada, myself to bring you back to Jamaica, to make sure that you grew up around your people. You know, Damon: (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/pPWZfkUaOhJamoQpBvB3UZukNfFEyFz9BC3lcwPi

Sherie said she sometimes thought about searching for her birth family, but even talking about it with her husband made her cry. She finally gathered the strength to search after voraciously reading “The Girls That Went Away”. It dramatically changed her perspective about her own adoption and the possibilities for what her birth mother might have endured. Unfortunately, when Sheri’s court-appointed investigator found her birth mother the woman wasn’t ready to reunite…yet. It took time for Sheri’s birth mother to overcome a family loss and regain her strength to face Sheri. Thankfully, Sheri was patient along the way, making sure that building trust with her birth family was the foremost goal in her reunion. The post 049 – It’s Just More People To Love Me appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Support this podcast

When Kaitlin was nine years old she was ready to lobby for access to her original birth certificate. She attempted a reunion with her birth mother, who left clues that she wanted to be found. But when she was located she was surprised. Kaitlin’s excitement over finding her family led her to a misstep that soured the relationship with her birth mother. Luckily, things went much better for Kaitlin and her birth father, who just happened to be in town when she called! The post 048 – It’s Not Always The Fairy Tale You Hoped For appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Support this podcast

When Anna was born, her adoption resulted in Anna and her mother living as siblings. Very early in her life she lost her birth mother and her adopted mother, so she was on her own. Anna shares how she survived those tragic losses, physical abuse by her stepmother, and a life few parental figures. Since she never had male figure in her life, Anna struggles with how best be a daughter in reunion. But her paternal family always pulls her back in when she starts to drift away.  The post 047 – I Was In Charge Of My Destiny appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Support this podcast

Michael says he always knew he was adopted and spoke openly about it with anyone who expressed curiosity. However, when he launched his search, he didn’t feel like he could share those details openly with his adopted mother. When he found his birth mother, she told Michael she always knew he would find her. To continue his search for his birth father, she encouraged Michael to connect with his half-brother by another woman but forewarned Michael that his birth father didn’t know of his existence. But it turned out there was a lot more Michael’s father didn’t know… about himself. The post 045 – This Child Will Find Me appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Michael (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/6YL0mWuQ0MlZtoeXdSRZwb_wXnP5DerVD3ASf99_S1khO-bR28fxCK2cGwOCC651Kuk3GTRsSV1ytIAEhNlLjeevF4Q?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=5.28 (00:05)): She said before her mother passed away, she was saying, you should really find your, your, your sons. And I think she might've been looking on her own before she di

Paige didn’t even know that searching for her birth family was an option until she learned about it on local tv as an adult. The topic of adoption was closed her whole life, partially because of how her parents understood and portrayed her closed adoption to her. Fortunately, Ohio law allowed her to access her original birth certificate (OBC). Receiving personal information about herself ignited a passion to learn more and set her off on a voyage of discovery. Paige was lucky to find her birth father’s name in the papers, a which doesn’t always happen for adoptees in that era. She connected with him one time, then he vanished. When he resurfaced, Paige was able to complete her journey because he had finally decided to be honest with his family about his past. The post 043 – When I Looked At Him, I Could See Things About Me appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Paige (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/wNnu30Ooaa7PbBDVHJbopIN9yxzq0qvwAf-q_lko_y5xpLvzpkBkuajPZmHO4u72Eg

Right before Sharon left for college, her parents sat her down to say she was of age to start looking for her birthparents. She had never contemplated that possibility before, so it took years for her to act on her desire to learn more about herself. In the late 1980s, she went through Catholic Charities to help retrace the path back to her biological family. But her assigned intermediary maintained tight control over the family’s communications, stifling their connection. For five years Sharon and her birth mother communicated laboriously through their intermediary before her mother closed the door. After years of silence in her reunion attempt, Sharon decided to try just one more time to break through her birth mother’s resistance, and she was glad she did. Her birth mother apologized for everything she had put Sharon through. The post 042 – This Little Voice Said, “You Gotta Do Something” appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Sharon (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/KeipXaaGOOiWjkF

Jennifer was perfectly comfortable with her adoption until her teen years when her self-awareness was heightened, and her desire to learn more about who she is bloomed. Protecting her parents feelings, she pushed away her desire to search for decades until one day her curiosity exploded again. In the end, her residual drive from her experience as a detective on the Chicago police force helped her to keep asking questions and pressing on with her search. Jennifer shares her warm feelings from knowing her birth mother always talked about her and her birth father’s family welcomed her w/ the same love they felt for her father. The post 040 – I Mattered Throughout The Years appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Support this podcast

Jennifer was perfectly comfortable with her adoption until her teen years when her self-awareness was heightened, and her desire to learn more about who she is bloomed. Protecting her parents feelings, she pushed away her desire to search for decades until one day her curiosity exploded again. In the end, her residual drive from her experience as a detective on the Chicago police force helped her to keep asking questions and pressing on with her search. Jennifer shares her warm feelings from knowing her birth mother always talked about her and her birth father’s family welcomed her w/ the same love they felt for her father. The post 040 – I Mattered Throughout The Years appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Jennifer (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/LN9nTLDOPY6IF6t7mSQ6nJfb0WXczWM1OtXboactds425GhKvVqwdEDhuVKPcaggG3fLrhENHl1VlakU9aRbgdOafv0?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=5.35 (00:05)): She says, you know, when your mom would talk about you and say she had this baby in 64, you know, w

This summer when I met Bill and found out he was a genealogist, I was excited to hear everything he had to say. I wanted to hear more about his own personal history, how he got into genealogy, and the clients he’s helped. My birth mother was also a genealogist, but I never got to learn about her work before she passed away. I was really lucky to find Bill who also ended up being one of my genealogists! The post 038 – Interview w/ One Of My Two Genealogists appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Support this podcast

Lee, my search & reunion social worker in Baltimore, MD, unlocked many of the answers about why I was placed for adoption. She worked to locate my biological mother, Ann, and read my birth mother’s introductory letter to me over the phone. For National Adoption Awareness Month I interviewed Lee about her passion for searches and reunions, her personal connection to adoption, stories from her decades of experience supporting children and families in Baltimore. The post 037 – Interview w/ A Search & Reunion Social Worker appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Support this podcast

November is National Adoption Awareness Month, so I’m bringing you a different perspective from the adoption community. On prior episodes you’ve heard adoptees talk about the amazing work that they’re search angels have done with them. Today I’m introducing you to one of those search Angels. You’ve already heard about her work in my interview with Stephanie (in episode 29) where she lauded the work of her amazing spouse AND Search Angel, Diana. Diana has always been into family history and exploring genealogy, so when Stephanie’s search for her birth relatives began Diana was all in. Diana shares the processes she goes through to assist adoptees in their searches, some lessons she’s learned over years of searching, and why her volunteer work to help others is meaningful to her. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/035-interview-w-search-angel-every-answer-get-questions/ (035 – Interview w/ A Search Angel – For Every Answer You Get, There Are More Questions) appeared first on http://

Today I’m bringing you something a little different for #NationalAdoptionMonth. There are a lot of people, processes, and policies integral to the adoption of a child, raising a child, and supporting that person’s desire to search for their birth family. I’m bringing you a few stories from across the adoption continuum. The first is that of the Gift Of Adoption Fund (https://giftofadoption.org/donate/), a volunteer-driven non-profit organization that raises funds to provide adoption assistance grants to complete the adoption of vulnerable children. Gift of Adoption’s CEO Pam Devereux shares a little of her own story of being personally driven to helping others, the mission of the organization, and how she hopes many more of us will consider donating to charities that support adoption because, ultimately, the welfare of all children is on all of us. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/032-gift-adoption/ (032 – Intervew With The Gift Of Adoption Fund) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcas

Jamie grew up an only child with her wonderful adoptive parents in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA. She was happy to hear in reunion that her birth parents had already talked about her existence with their families. Living in Tennessee, she found her birth mother right back in Atlanta, in the same county where she lived as a girl. Jamie shares some truly special moments she was blessed to share with her birth father including a special dance, and an epic celestial event. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/031-finding-hope/ (031 – Finding Hope) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Jamie (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/xgNq1jjYtixjDyjBZ-UtjOppnMLqrwZDb7hkM1DyGmlqsiAZ1dRki5XKNt5kCD3r0E9TG7Wa5VqJYvaJ9_d2Amut3QI?loadFrom=SharedLink&ts=3.7 (00:03)): I choose to know both of them today. You know from the time that I found them and not you know, anything in the past that's just, we all have paths and I choose to know them today and for who they are today,

Jen had a very nice childhood with her parents and never really wanted to search for her birth parents until her friends started having kids. But the ultimate spark that ignited her desire to search came from a family tragedy. In the aftermath Jen located her birth mother and they connected over social media, but Jen could never get her mother on the phone and that gave her a bad feeling. While she’s thankful for the few answers she did get about her past, Jen wishes she had not been deceived and has a warning for other adoptees seeking reunion. On her reunion trip her birth mother bitterly showed her true colors. Thankfully,contacting her birth mother did allow her to connect with other really cool relatives, and find her paternal half-brother who is ecstatic to know her. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/030-dont-fall-for/ (030 – Don’t Fall For “I Can’t Talk To You On The Phone”) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Jen (https://www.temi

Louise was one of four a dual heritage children raised by white parents in England. She had a fantastic childhood. So much so that she has adopted twice. But along her impulsive journey into reunification, Louise was exposed to uncomfortable situations including her biological grandfather’s impending death, overt racism in her mother’s family, and total rejection by her biological father. Unfortunately, Louise’s mother’s withholding of facts also prevented her from knowing her sister, who once was interested in reunification. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/024-im-deeply-hurt-hope-youre-happy/ (024 – I’m Deeply Hurt, But I Hope You’re Happy) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Louise (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/TaeoAVKLDyHNg1FfTXW2PviFtukKwyzNQjwkOfBM2uoV8PnXcVIW-yi2lxEHh_NemcTVdsSvw2FlWfUVNNF0A17kdYY?loadFrom=SharedLink&ts=2.04 (00:02)): If you rush these things, you can really damage any sense of long term relationship with people and I

Marcie finally felt plugged into her biological family after years of divisive behavior from her adopted mother. Her mother never nurtured a bond between Marcie and her adopted siblings and had a hard time overcoming some of her own childhood issues. In reunion, Marcie connected with her biological father who amazingly helped solidify a deeper connection to Marcie’s aunt, his sister. Marcie and her aunt both share an innate connection to their own spirituality. Even though her biological mother was not in a place to be part of Marcie’s reunion with her father, she was able to make a really good connection with another aunt on her maternal side of the family. In hindsight Marcie wishes she had been true to herself throughout her journey, reaching out sooner and making sure to meet her relatives when the opportunities presented themselves. She admits that sometimes it’s okay for each us to be selfish along our journey as long as it is done with kindness and compassion for others. The post http://www.w

Michael grew up in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY. He led a comfortable life in the Williams loving home when he accidentally discovered, at 12 years old, that he was adopted. The discovery that he actually had another identity created conflict in him, especially during his teen aged years. With spontaneity, tenacity, and a fair bit of luck Michael was able to track down the phone number for a long lost cousin in NY. She sounded the alarm to the family that Michael had found her, and a series of holiday season reunions ensued. But his reunification was not without its resentment. Over the course of two decades he satisfied his curiosity to uncover every detail he could about who he really is. It was an emotional journey of discovery that led him all they way to his family’s roots in the South. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/019-michael-w/ (019 – Adoption Was Chapter Two Of My Life, I Had To Learn About Chapter One) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really

Jennifer had a very happy childhood and always felt special because she was an adoptee; she knew her parents really wanted her. Their family was heavily involved with the Children’s Home Society in Los Angeles where her mother did fund-raising work. Jennifer so appreciated her loving parents for their lifetime of love and support, but as she got older, she had a feeling that she would be close to her birth mother and that she was likely more like her than her adopted mother. After her own son had a positive reunion experience with a daughter he fathered years ago, Jennifer decided she would make an an attempt at reunion herself. On pure luck she was given year’s worth of microfiche data that had her family tree’s information. Jennifer’s mother had always hoped for their reunion, and even welcomed Jennifer’s adopted brother into their family too. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/016-jennifer-p/ (016 – Shall we Cry? No, Let’s Just Laugh!) appeared first on http://www.who

Tom advocates for adoptee rights and shares his personal experiences about being adopted. He was adopted as an infant and things went so well his parents decided to adopt two older boys when Tom was two years old. Their adoption is where his trouble started. Life became chaotic in their home because the older boys were difficult for his parents to control. Tom was feeling sidelined. Sadly, one of the older boys sexually abused him resulting in issues he’s dealt with most of his life. Searching to repair his past he sought counseling, connected with his biological mother, and tracked down his biological father. But Tom was never quite able to gain the sense of belonging he was searching for. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/012-tom-a/ (012 – I Need This For My Sanity) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Tom (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/kMOWYPYEldugSEc1LLcIJ6wvedKAM_1PwoxoPRBe1sPvRPh8gr8YNvvqmDDm2ks1AVfyxnEiX6t9_v5ztECCKfSRmho?loadFrom=DocumentDee