I’m at a turning point in my life.
I recently found and connected with my biological family. Like many Ethiopian adoptees. What I was told about my orgins is in stark contrast to the truth of my origin story.
Reconciling with this and the patterns it has forced me to address has been overwhelming and has asked me to remember a sense of self that existed before survival became necessary 38 yrs ago.
I was relinquished as an infant, spent the first couple years of my life in an orphanage, and grew up separated from my origins, my biology, and much of my identity, in a rural area of MN. Before I had language, my body learned how to adapt. Like many adoptees, I became highly attuned, self-reliant, and outwardly capable—while carrying deep wounds, shaped by early family separation and disconnection.
Moving through life with the patterns these wounds created has been challenging to say the least. I’ve spent years doing my best to understand and work with them.
It’s clear I need real space and attention to fully move through and integrate all of this, now that they're at the surface in a way I never imagined possible .
Which is why I'm planning to apply for FMLA and do a 6 week therapuetic program to give myself that space—to listen, to process, and to integrate what's being asked of me, instead of buckling under the weight.
In an act of radical self-care, I’m asking for support to help cover the cost of the program, moving costs and catching up on some bills. This support will relieve the overwhelming nature of contending with this on top of staying afloat, something I've admittedly been struggling to do over the last few months since finding my family, but in reality something I've always struggled with.
If you feel moved to contribute or share, I’m grateful. Truly.
