This happened to our reader when her birth mother, whom she had never met, showed up at her door needing help. She made a difficult choice that left her feeling guilty and now she’s looking for advice on whether she did the right thing.
Her biological mother abandoned her right after birth.
“My biological mom got pregnant when she was only 23 years old. Her boyfriend left her immediately after she told him about a child. She gave me up as soon as I was born because she believed having a child out of wedlock would ruin her chances of marrying and starting what she called a real family.”
“The couple who adopted me were wonderful, loving people who raised me with all the care and support a child could need. When my adoptive mom told me the truth about my birth parents, I naturally wanted to connect with my birth mother. I called her one day to set up a meeting so we could get to know each other. But she refused, saying she already had children and that I had an adoptive mom, so we should just leave things as they are.”
30 years later, her mother changed her mind and appeared at Amelia’s doorstep.
“I was 30 years old when she showed up on my doorstep, alone and homeless. I could hardly believe the frail woman standing before me, clutching a tattered bag, was the same person who had given me away.”
“Now, here she was, her eyes tired and pleading. ’Amelia,’ she said, her voice cracking, ’I know this is a lot to ask, but I have no one else. I’ve lost everything.’”
“I stood there, trying to process the situation. The woman who had once relinquished me for the sake of her future now had no one else to turn to. I felt a swirl of emotions — anger, confusion, and a reluctant sense of responsibility.”
In her most desperate moment, the woman remembered her daughter whom she had once abandoned.
“’Why are you here?’ I finally asked, my voice colder than I intended.”
“She took a deep breath, and her gaze dropped to the ground. ’My other children,’ she said softly, ’but they’ve all left. They don’t want anything to do with me now that I need help. I thought if I could find you, maybe… maybe you’d understand.’”
“Her words hit me hard. The thought of siblings, who had turned their backs on her, added a new layer to the complex emotions I was feeling. She continued, ’I know I wasn’t there for you, but please I’m desperate. I don’t have anywhere else to go.’”
