Thirty-three years ago, my mother made a hard, but selfless decision to give me up for adoption. I have known I was adopted since I was nine years old. I never felt that I was incomplete or dissatisfied with my life, but I did try for many years to find my birth family. I expected that if I found them, at best, we might occasionally see each other or exchange photos and e-mails. I didn’t dare hope for more. Since I have three beautiful children and a pretty great life by most standards, I didn’t expect much and didn’t feel the need to be fulfilled by finding them. I just thought it would be interesting. Boy, did I ever underestimate the healing power of finding your lost family!

Little did I know, when Patricia called to offer her assistance in my search, it was closing the door to one chapter in my life and opening the door to a new beginning that would forever change my life! One night during our two week search, Patricia called and said she had my Aunt and Grandmother standing by waiting for me to call them! “Tiffany, they can’t wait to talk to you, they are so excited!” I couldn’t believe it as I spent the next several hours – and then days – getting to know my wonderful new family.

I found my mother’s family, but my mother had passed away eleven years before our paths crossed. It was more sweet than bitter, however, and I have gained so much from the addition of an entire, huge family that I have so much more in common with than I ever could have imagined!

While searching, Patricia also discovered that I have a half brother. He didn’t know he was adopted and he is 36 years old! To make things even more emotionally charged, he had lived with our mother and grandmother until he was seven months old, then was given up suddenly for adoption and the family has missed him and prayed for him ever since. When Patricia helped me find him, I struggled with how to break the news to him, or if I even had the right to tell him he was adopted. I wanted him to know he has an entire family that would love to have him back in their life again and that have loved him for 36 years even though he didn’t even know they existed! In the end, my heart made the decision for me and I showed up one day and introduced myself as his sister. I told him the basics of his adoption story and was pleasantly surprised by his immediate acceptance of the truth and desire to learn more.

My brother, Randy, has already secured a very special place in my heart reserved only for him. Add to that my amazing and graceful Aunt Susie, loving Grandma Reva, Two uncles, numerous cousins and all the joy of sharing the past week in their home - and I have been blessed beyond measure with something only God knew I needed – complete love and acceptance by the family I was born into, but didn’t live with. They have brought my heart such joy and peace and I am looking forward to sharing the rest of our lives!

Words cannot express how grateful and appreciative I am of Patricia and her endless persistence, loyal determination and truly gifted talents! I know that God led her to me, and that without her I never would have found my family.

Randy told me I had earned my Angel Wings when I told him the truth, but I think Patricia earned hers by uniting so many lost loved ones and soothing nearly forty year old scars…

Thank you Patricia…I know my mom is smiling down from heaven and would wrap her arms around you if she could. She would thank you for bringing her children back to her family! She would have been so grateful, as I am…forever! Thank you for the gift of enriched life, love and family!

Tiffany Witter