Who Am I Really?

Larry, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, talks about his life as a transracial adoptee in a predominantly white community where many white parents adopted black children. In a desperate search for role models he latched on to some undesirable stereotypes of what a black man should be including stories he heard about his birth father. After a near death experience in the streets, Larry located his birth mother who eventually wrote the letter he needed to read to release the pressure he was under. This is Larry's journey "https://www.amazon.com/White-Confused-Black-Christian-Autobiography/dp/1096363186/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&coliid=I2JJFGK1U5TRL7&colid=2OFTHNWSIEPL8&qid=&sr= (White, Confused, Black and Christian)", by Larry Yff https://larryyff.com/ (LarryYff.com) Who Am I Really? Who Am I Really? Website - http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/ (http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/) Share Your Story - http://bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share (bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share) Listen On Apple Podcasts&n

Julie, from Humboldt County, California, had a wonderful reunion with her birth mother and has learned how a woman operates, which has helped Julie managed some of her own feelings in their reunion. But when Julie's birth mother admitted she'd had a one night stand, Julie thought she'd never find her birth father. DNA testing helped her figure out that her birth father was one of two brothers and one of them was so much like her. He had to be the guy. But was he. When the truth was discovered, Julie was left to maintain the family secret. This is Julie's journey. Who Am I Really? Who Am I Really? Website - http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/ (http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/) Share Your Story - http://bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share (bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share) Listen On Apple Podcasts - http://apple.co/2oOd25m (http://apple.co/2oOd25m) Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB (https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB)  Google Play - http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH (http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH) TuneIn - http://tun

After years of struggling to get along with her adoptive mother, who struggled as a World War II survivor, Danielle finally figured out the reasons for their differences. She's a late discovery adoptee, but hers was less of a discovery, more of a revelation that overcame her in the middle of the night. She found her birth mother who wondered why it took so long for them to finally connect. Then the magic died and their reunion was over. Later Danielle did a DNA test connecting to a distant paternal relative, and it was just in time to meet her birth father. This is Danielle's journey. Who Am I Really? Who Am I Really? Website - http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/ (http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/) Share Your Story - http://bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share (bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share) Listen On Apple Podcasts - http://apple.co/2oOd25m (http://apple.co/2oOd25m) Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB (https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB)  Google Play - http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH (http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH) T

Jonathan's admits adoption was always part of his story and he was never made to feel special or different. But after his adopted sister sought out her biological family for medical information, Jonathan decided it was time for his search to begin to. What he found was such a great likeness to his paternal side, that it worked against him in meeting his biological mother who might not have been mentally strong enough to see the face of the young man she used to know appearing again on her adult, biological son. This is Jonathan's journey. Who Am I Really? Who Am I Really? Website - http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/ (http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/) Share Your Story - http://bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share (bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share) Listen On Apple Podcasts - http://apple.co/2oOd25m (http://apple.co/2oOd25m) Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB (https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB)  Google Play - http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH (http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH) TuneIn - http://tun.in/piyg9 (http://tun.in

Mike who called me from Berlin, Germany was born in St. Louis, Missouri. It's a place he ultimately fought hard to try to get away from because of its association with his adoptive family. After years traveling the country, then moving abroad to Germany Mike found himself in reunion with his birth mother back in St. Louis. Mike says that out of everyone, he looks the most like the one person he really wanted to find. And that these days he's turning some challenging experiences in his life into positivity for others. This is mike's journey Who Am I Really? Who Am I Really? Website - http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/ (http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/) Share Your Story - http://bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share (bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share) Listen On Apple Podcasts - http://apple.co/2oOd25m (http://apple.co/2oOd25m) Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB (https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB)  Google Play - http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH (http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH) TuneIn - http://tun.in/piyg9

Rebecca called me from outside of Richmond, Virginia. She has lived a life in adoption from the formation of her family, with her adoption to becoming a birth mother, dedicating her professional life to adoption and experiencing reunion with her birth mother birth father and her son. Her reunions have been a mix of denial and near rejection to full acceptance after years of anticipation and surprise to be found by the parents of her own child. You're going to be amazed to hear how much adoption can be woven throughout one adoptee's life. This is Rebecca's journey Who Am I Really? Who Am I Really? Website - http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/ (http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/) Share Your Story - http://bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share (bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share) Listen On Apple Podcasts - http://apple.co/2oOd25m (http://apple.co/2oOd25m) Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB (https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB)  Google Play - http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH (http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH) TuneIn - http://t

When Lisa and I chatted, she was in a hotel in South Dakota, but she normally resides in Tennessee. She was in town for the momentous occasion of reuniting with her birth mother the next day. We agreed to chat ahead of time because Lisa knew she would be a different person after reunion. Lisa led a quiet life, surrounded by family she loved and felt deeply connected to. Her adoption was never kept a secret from her and played a constant theme in her life. Guided by gratitude and the question, "where do I come from?" Lisa's journey started with a DNA test, which opened the doors to help her answer that nagging question. Lisa mapped out generations of her family tree, discovered she was a secret to some in her family and a sequestered fact to others. The path of Lisa's reunion still has a winding road ahead so, this is Lisa's journey so far... (part 2 of Lisa's journey will be ep. 181 - Wandering Tree) Who Am I Really? Who Am I Really? Website - http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/ (http://www.whoamireally

Today my guest is Micheleana who lives outside of Kansas city in Lawrence, Kansas. Micheleana's early life was tumultuous after her parents divorced. Her adoptive mother passed away suddenly, and she was abandoned by her adoptive family. Incredibly her birth father walked right into her life twice and she didn't even recognize him. Unfortunately, she got an unexpectedly awkward introduction to her birth mother that may have set the stage of continued uneasiness between them when it comes to really getting to know one another. This is Micheleana's journey Support this podcast

Today you're going to meet Michael who called me from Atlanta, Georgia. Michael grew up with adoptive parents who were functional alcoholics which meant they had a dysfunctional home with a narcissistic mother and a detached father. When DNA testing linked Michael with his maternal family he learned that his siblings knew about him but his birth mother was kept in the dark that her secret had been revealed. In reunion, Michael's eyes were opened to the meaning of nature versus nurture when he found shared physical traits and common interests in athletics, music and more. Now Michael helps run an Adoptees Connect group in Atlanta for adopted people to link up and support one another. This is Michael's journey. Support this podcast

Elisa lives outside of Philadelphia. She shares her story of the DNA test. She completed to learn more about her heritage that surprisingly linked her to her birth mother. The woman was lifelong friends with Elisa's birth father's family, but the man never knew that Elisa existed until her birth mother helped connect them at her own home. Elisa's birth mother has met her adoptive parents which filled an unrecognized void in her parents' lives this is Elisa's journey Support this podcast

Simon from the United Kingdom, knew he was adopted from as early as he can remember. When he finally decided to search for his birth mother, he had a flash of anger about the toy. The woman left him. But when he learned of her situation and heard another birth mother's perspective, that his anger was likely misguided, he quickly changed course to empathizing with his birth mother. Listen to Simon's efforts to support other adoptees and his desire to change prevailing narratives in adoption. This is simon's journey Support this podcast

Debbie lives outside of Portland, Oregon. Her parents adopted her and her brother too soon after tragedy struck their family. Debbie found her roots in Kansas, in a small town where the grape vine unexpectedly spread news fast that she was in town. Uh, sad loss. Oddly gave Debbie a chance to connect more deeply with her birth mother. But her birth father only told half of his family about Debbie creating a minefield of secrets in this era of consumer DNA testing. This is Debbie's journey Support this podcast

Cindy lives outside of Sacramento, California. She and her sister were placed in foster care where they learned to protect themselves and be tough. Cindy's search started with an abundance of identifiable information thanks to her adoptive parents. In reunion, she found a man she truly resembled, was bonded to, but who was forced to cut their relationship again until his final days. Cindy found the pieces that were missing in her personal puzzle and healing that she, and many other people involved in her adoption reunion, really needed. This is Cindy's journey. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PV31DFN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1 (Once In A Lullaby: My Journey Home) https://www.livinglightoasis.com/ (https://www.livinglightoasis.com/) Support this podcast

Kevin, from upstate New York, shares his journey to find his worthiness, to beat in this life. His search for his birth mother led him to the one woman who knew he existed and the unexpected sibling set that has fortified his own fight to carry on. Kevin continues his search for his paternal connections. All with his angel Roz on his shoulder. Loving him as she loved her own birth children. This is Kevin's journey. Check out Kevin's book: "Dear Stephen Michael's Mother" https://www.kevinbarhydt.com/ (https://www.kevinbarhydt.com) Support this podcast

Erika called me from outside of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ericka and her older adopted brother were doing fine with their adoptive parents until the birth of their siblings created an unspoken split between the children. In reunion, Erika's mother was an open book about her experiences as one of the girls who went away, while her adoptive mother was closed to the fact that Erika was actually related to her birth mother, subscribing to the blank slate mentality of the baby scope era. Connecting with her birth father she found a man who always knew about her but didn't realize that he missed her until Erika returned. This is Erika's journey. Support this podcast

Today's adoptee story is Winnie's. She called me from Los Angeles, California. Growing up, Winnie's adoptive parents were closed to discussing her adoption, rejected her basic desire to socialize and left her to fend for herself in the name of creating an independent woman. But her treatment was unfairly different from that of her adopted sister. When he has an arduous road ahead seeking reunion with her birth mother in India in the face of information inaccuracies. And in the wake of massive COVID 19 casualties. Winnie is the creator of Indian Adoptees Connect, a community for Indian adopted people like herself. This is Winnie's journey Support this podcast

Pam called me from Lexington, Kentucky. Growing up in adoption she suffered in the care of her adoptive mother who was unable to be a to parent her children because she was barely holding on herself. In reunion Pam found two alcoholics and when she looked in the mirror she saw someone who needed to change her trajectory before she followed in their footsteps. Pam has done a lot of empathizing to heal herself, and focused her energy on creating Adoptees Connect to help other adopted people find support like what she needed in her darkest days. She also founded https://adopteeremembranceday.com/ (Adoptee Remembrance Day), October 30th, #adopteeremembranceday. It's a time to recognize Adoptee Suicide, Adoptee Abuse & Neglect, and Adoptee Loss. This is Pam's journey. Support this podcast

Ed called me from here in Maryland. He shared the sad, circumstances of his adoptive parents losing two children, but not really healing from the losses, feeling loyalty to his adoptive parents. Ed went on a clandestine search for his birth mother, found her then lost touch for years. All of which exacerbated his anxiety within him. Fortunately Ed reunited with his maternal and paternal sides and connected to his personal history in some unique ways. This is Ed's journey. Support this podcast

Jennifer, from Standardsville, Virginia, said growing up in New York, she had a very different childhood experience in her family than her sister, who was biological to their parents. Their mother suffered with substance abuse and deep down the woman probably knew she wasn't as good a mother to Jennifer as she could've been. In reunion Jennifer realized that secrets of the past were hard to overcome because they were ladened with stigma from her birth mother's pregnancy experience. Her paternal reunion was a surreal phone experience that you have to hear Jennifer tell to believe. Thankfully her aunt and younger sister made up for the shocking phone conversation she had with her birth father. This is jennifer's journey. Support this podcast

Honor described a childhood in isolation, so much so that it impacted her health when she started school. Wondering about her biological parents, she developed a romantic story in her mind that they were in love but simply couldn’t keep her. It took her many years to track down her real story which was far more complex, and at one point she thought that one of her worst fears was true. When she found her birth mother, they only had a passing anonymous introduction to one another and when they met again years later, the woman was unable to recognize who Honor was. When Honor tracked down her birth father, his actions indicated he was the right guy, even if he didn’t explicitly say so. Read Full TranscriptHonor:                         https://www.temi.com/editor/t/RoG91wfh3o-gEOEA1fC0ylca2hcg1crOOVLxAbyJ4O5gdoILr26QGgCC9CUFWxsOCYCjP-WafAKupT5LMjDH1No5zzg?loadFrom=Docu