I love happy reunion stories. I really do! We hear, so frequently, the stories that go wrong. This is partly due to the fact that when people have a good experience, they'll likely tell one or two people but when people have a bad experience, that number jumps to the double digits. We're more likely to rant and rave than we are to applaud. Human nature. This is only further compounded by the fact that the mainstream media isn't all that quick to report the good news. Stories of happy reunion don't fall under the "if it bleeds, it leads" motto of newsrooms everywhere.

And so, this particular reunion story made me smile. How could it not? This little gem of a quote gives birth parents, adoptees and even adoptive families hope for the future.

“I now feel like a complete person,” said Robinson, the newest Cañon City Council member. “It’s been such a blessing to just get to know them.”

Oh, when adoptees talk about feeling complete and refer to the time spent with their birth families as a blessing, well, I kind of melt into puddles of goo. What parent, birth or adoptive, doesn't want for their child to feel complete? Some might argue right here that the child "should have" felt complete with his adoptive family. Truth is, as an adult, what made you feel complete? The answer will differ for everyone. If this adult feels complete with the addition of his birth family, that's swell. My point is not based on the sole addition of the birth family but the completeness in general. We should all have such high hopes for our children!

While this adoptee's parents, due to illness and death, never got to know about the reunion, my guess is that they would be pleased. Why? Their grandchildren have grandparents even in their absence. It is my belief that grandparents are so important in our children's lives so this made my heart warm even more.

The adult adoptee does bring up the question of nature versus nurture, however, and I'd like to touch on it briefly.

“I now know it is not the context that forms you,” he said, believing that nature wins out in the age-old “nature vs. nurture” battle.

He then refers to some nervous movement that he and his brothers share along with some musical humming. I found this interesting. I know many people, adoptive and birth parents alike, who would say, "AUGH! I hope nurture wins out! I don't want them to be ANYTHING like them/me." However, this adult adoptee wasn't referring to lifetime achievements. He mentioned little things. And I wonder how many other adoptees and birth families have found this to be true as well. As I'm still watching my daughter grow, I don't know for sure what she will "inherit" from me though I'm seeing bits and pieces of me emerge in her from time to time. And yet, as her Mom and I are similar in thought and deed, I discount myself a lot and give her the credit for raising her so awesomely. And, so, this quote brings me back to the wonder part of it all.

Anyway, nature versus nurture aside, this was a great little article to kick off your weekend with a smile. (It is Friday, right? I've been so confused all week.) If only all reunions went so smoothly (and were covered by the news).

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For more on reunion, read these posts.



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