Thank You

There are no enough words that could fully express how amazing this trip was for me in so many different ways. I felt like I had truly arrived home. Reuniting with my aunt Albina was such a blessing to me. She is an amazing woman and I love her deeply. I so appreciate her kindness. I admire her sheer determination. She never once gave up on finding me. To think she’s searched for almost 18 years in hopes of seeing me one day. I can’t imagine what that must have been like for her. When I wrote my story, I had mentioned that she agreed to my adoption but then later changed her mind. Well, apparently that was not the case. Somehow it must have been a miscommunication. She actually told my father that she wanted to adopt me and that that she was to be the first to know. Because my adoption wasn’t really orchestrated by my father, Albina never knew it was happening. Albina told me that when she found out about my adoption, she immediately called the Ambassador and pleaded for him to cancel the adoption. I cannot imagine what this reunion must mean to her. To me, it means the world.

It was so good for me to see my brother again. You never really know how deeply you’ve missed someone until you see them again. I missed my brothers. Nicu looks so much like my father that at times it was strange to be looking at him. It was like I was seeing my father again. He has not had an easy life and that is hard for me. His children are so beautiful and bright. It was so wonderful to bring so many supplies and necessities to them. I am so grateful to everyone who donated items so that we could bring so much stuff to Nicu and his family. It was a wonderful experience. It was so important for me to have my brothers know how much I love them and that they are not alone. It is hard to be in a situation that seems hopeless everyday and I remember how that feels. It is amazing to witness the change that happens in a person’s countenance when they truly feel loved and cared for. I saw that change in Nicu and Mihaela. But I also saw that change in me. It really changes your life forever. I have been the recipient of some really life changing miracles. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity and privilege to return home again. Bringing supplies and necessities to those kids really is a miracle for them. As a child, I prayed for a miracle. I was young and I didn’t understand about God but I believed He was there. I believed in Him. So often I prayed for a miracle to happen to us. Countless times I prayed for us to have food so that I wouldn’t be hungry anymore. I prayed that maybe I could be adopted like some other kids. My prayers were answered. Once again my prayers were answered when I got to return home. I think about Gabriela, Andrei and Cristian and the things they must pray for. International adoptions have been closed in Romania for almost 10 years. They don’t have anyone they can turn to for help. They rely on the good graces of God to help them survive. This blog is no longer about me. It’s about Gabriela, Andrei and Cristian. It’s about Nicu, Mihaela and Florin. It’s about Albina and the power of love and never giving up or losing hope. It’s about family. I truly believe that God sends angels to help us when we need it. We have the power to change lives. Miracles exist and we can bring hope to those who need it. I wanted this blog to be about hope and the difference that little acts of kindness can make. Sometimes when we think about helping others or charity, we think about big organizations and amazing acts of charity. But many times it’s the little things we do for others whether it be strangers or family members, that truly lifts a heavy heart. Through the generous acts of so many people involved in making my reunion a reality, we were able to bring so many supplies and necessities to Nicu, Mihaela, Gabriela, Andrei and Cristian. We were also able to bring blankets and other supplies to everyone one else in my family. Because of that, my brother and his sweet kids will be warm this winter. They know that people love them and want to help them.

I thought about what this blog means to me. I would have never considered doing something like this. By nature, I am a very shy and private person, especially when it comes to this part of my life. Hardly anyone knew My Story and most of my memories of my life in Romania remained untold. It took many years of convincing from a special person in particular for me to even consider telling My Story. When I sat down to write My Story on this blog, I really felt like someone else was writing it for me. That night I went to bed and thought to myself, “What in the world have I just done?” It is easy for me to freak out over posting my most personal photos and stories out on the internet for all to see. But as I started thinking about this blog and its purpose in my life, I realized that it really was no longer about me. This blog has turned into a stepping stone providing a way for me to be able to bring supplies and necessities to my family in Romania. Without this blog, none of that would be possible. So many times I have seen the amazing things that have happened because of this blog. I would have never imagined that I could have done anything of this on my own. Just seeing all the donations we were able to bring was truly amazing. To me, this blog means that there is hope out there. That miracles do happen! I feel so optimistic and happy about what the future holds. I am excited because I see so many opportunities out there for us to help each other. As a recipient of so much kindness and generosity over My Story and my reunion with my family, I am constantly amazed at people. So many people who didn’t know me helped and donated amazing items. Even the smallest acts of kindness made a difference.

It is so important for me to know my heritage so that I can pass that on to my children. Along with that, I want to teach my children to help those who need it more than we do because there are always people out there who will need more help than we do. I want to teach my children that they have the power to change the world. I really believe that.

Thank you for making this journey possible for me.

Thank you for being a part of my journey.