Much of my work has been with adoptees in search of their biological parents. Everyone has an opinion about whether or not an adoptee should search for their biological family. My opinion does not matter. If someone asks for my help, I will help them.
The best word to describe my philosophy on this subject is empathy. In no way could I ever imagine how it feels to be adopted. My work has helped me understand that adoptees gain a sense of connectedness once they learn who their biological parents were
If we reach out and the biological family is disinterested, our efforts were not in vain. The larger story involving many generations is significant. Were their ancestors in the Civil War? Did they escape the Holocaust? Did they come to the United States after the Potato Famine? There are rich and compelling stories to be discovered that happened before conception. These stories are empowering and priceless.
The tip of our tree involves our parents. Our story grows as we research our generational past. With each generation, there is a story to learn. History comes alive and we learn how our ancestors shaped history. The lessons we learned in school become real and applicable to us.