Adoption Blogs » Rita B

Meeting New People

Rita B — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 04:36:16 +0000

Hey guys. Its been a while since i’ve updated you all on my journey through finding my birth family. I’ve had several send me messages asking how my search was going and if I ever found my birth family. I have’nt found them yet, but were getting really close. I must say that I’m very blessed by the new people i’m meeting on my journey. They have been really awesome to me in wanting to help me search for them. I’ve posted my information on just about all the sites you can think of and out of the blue one day I got a message on my facebook page for a guy who said he could help me and for me to contact him. So I did and he has found out a lot of information in 2 weeks than I did in 15 years on my own. Some we already knew and he confirmed it and some of the information is like WOW!!! He works on it for me everyday. I just cant thank him enough for what he is doing to help me. I’ve also been meeting new people on my own facebook page where people can follow me on my jouney and how God is opening doors and teaching me things on my way. I have learned so much in the past 15 years and more so in the past 4 years since my adopted mom passed away cause I have never been one for change and God has taught me that change is ok and somtimes its for the best. Which that lesson has been very tough for me at times. But the friends I have made on this journey I would’nt take anything for them. I must metion a very important news anchor who has also been working to help me search. He has went and is going far and beyond his call to help me. I can’t wait for him to have his story on me and praying it will be a happy one. After all this is said and done, I really hope and pray I will be able to meet all these peolple helping me, in person!!! I want to be able to thank them in person for everything. I will close now, but I promise I will be updating you all very soon and wont let it go to long without a update or a lesson i’ve learned on this journey.

A Long Journey

Rita B — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:47:55 +0000

Im sittng here thinking back on my journey through my search for my birth family, and I must say it’s been a very long one. I started my search a little over 14 years ago and may not have even started it if it wasn’t for my mom and sister. All cause I knew who my family was and who loved me with all they had, not saying that my birth mom and family didn’t cause they did love me enough to give me up for a better life. But the more they would ask me if I wanted to search for them the more it made me think of them and maybe they were wondering about me. So I started this long journey of my search. Its been a long one and I will admit its been a emotional one at times. My sister, mom and I started out by doing all the registeries and getting a hold of the social services in VA where I was born. Been trying to go through them for the longest. We searched very hard up till 4 years ago when my mom passed away,which was very hard on me, but three years ago I remembered a promise I made her, that if any thing should ever happen to her that I would finish the search out to the end. I will say her and my dad was and is my biggest supporter through all this. So three years ago i’ve been searching very very hard. We had a new news program that started back last Sept and its called Focus @4 on our ABC channel, its a show where it interacts with the viewers and they asked on their facebook page, what is some stories you would like to see us do on the show and follow up with them. So I wrote in and told them i’d like to see a story on adoptees searching for their birth families. Needless to say they messaged me about it and a reporter came out and interviewed me and my family about my journey and how its taken so long. They aired the story about three days later. They also put it on You Tube in hopes it would help me. I’m here to say it did help. I started emailing that clip out to all the news channels in and around Richmond, VA and a guy from a news station there emailed me back and he is doing all he can to help me out on my search, which I am sooo very thankful for. God has and is teaching me so much through all this and very thankful for everyone who he has placed in my path. Im praying for good news soon. I’m also praying that God will use my testimony through all this to help others not to give up on their search. Just be patient and keep your chin up and stay positive.

The Love of Two Mothers

Rita B — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:58:48 +0000

With Mother’s Day coming up, I can’t help but think of my birth mother and my adopted mother. One carried me in her stomach and the other in her heart till the day she died four years ago. I can’t imagine what was going through my birth mother’s mine the day she gave birth to me knowing she was going to give me up. It must have been so hard on her. I can tell you what my adopted mother was thinking when she knew she was getting me.

She was very excited, and anxious for my arrival. I know this cause she told me. She was the best mother any child could have ever asked for. She was always there for me. She loved me with all her heart and soul. She would always do without so that my dad, sister, and I would have. She had such a big heart for her family and for others. She would always try to help others out in times of need. This is just a little glimpse into what my mom was like. There is so much more I could you tell about her.

I’m so thankful to God for putting me with my family 37 years ago. I’m praying that one day soon I’ll get the chance to tell my birth mother thank you for loving me enough to give birth to me and for loving me enough to give me up for a better life that she may not have been able to give me at the time. I also want her to know that I’m not mad at her for giving me up. I’m currently searching for her and I can’t wait to tell her all this. I pray you all have a great weekend coming up. Don’t forget to let your mother know how much you love her!

Being Adopted

Rita B — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:46:13 +0000

Wow, I think back on when I was placed with my family and it just makes me smile. My first several years my mom was so afraid that if she didn’t tell me about how they got me, that I’d learn it from someone else and she didn’t want that to happen. So one day in the summer when I was about 4 years old, I was out playing with my cousin in the yard and I remember her calling me and sitting me on the bed. She told me she had something very important to talk to me about. Being a 4 year old, I said, “OK.”

She went into explaining to me that I didn’t grow in her tummy like my sister did, that I grew in another woman’s tummy, but when I was born God sent me to them to live and for me to be their daughter. She also told me that my birth mommy loved me enough to give me to them to love and care for. And just because she didn’t carry me didn’t mean she loved me any less. We talked for a while longer and do y’all know what I said? I looked up at her and said, “OK, I know you’re my mom, and I love you and I don’t care if I grew in your tummy or not so can I go and play again?” Haha, only a 4 year old huh?

I must say I’ve never been ashamed of being adopted. I didn’t mind telling anyone about it. I consider it a honor that I was placed in a good christian home. When I started dating my husband, I remember telling him I had something to tell him. I told him I was adopted and went into telling him all I knew about it and won’t forget him looking at me and saying, “I don’t care, I love you and who you are. You being adopted don’t phase me.” I must say he is my biggest fan and supporter on my search for my birth family outside of my two kids, mom, dad and sister.

My mom would never put my birth family down, she always told me to love them cause I didn’t know the whole story and she taught me that being adopted was very awesome . I would love to go around talking to other adoptees about my journey and my search for my birth family. Please don’t stop praying and searching!!! Trust me it’s worth all that you go through.

Thanks,
RitaB

Introductions

Rita B — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:59:30 +0000

Hello, My name is Rita Bradford, I’m 37 years old and was adopted when I was 9 days old. I was born in Nassawadox, VA on January 22,1975. I was adopted by a wonderful family. I’m so very thankful for them. I went from having no one to having a sister and a mom and dad. I’m currently searching for my birth family. I’ve been searching on my own for 14 years now. I’ll get into more of that a little later, and I’ll start from the beginning for now. I’ve often wondered how my birth mother must have felt the whole time she was pregnant with me and even the day she went to the hospital to give birth to me. She must have felt scared, worried, anxious, and maybe all of this at one time.

I can’t imagine what it’s like to give up a child you have carried for 9 months but I’m thankful for her loving me enough to give me up and giving me a life. I’m praying that I’ll get a chance to tell her thank you in person and let her know I’m not mad at her for giving me up. I had an awesome childhood. Me and my family are very close. If it wasn’t for my mom and my sister I may not have even started searching for my birth family. My mom and I were very close and she passed away 4 years ago. She would always tell me that if something ever happened to her that I better promise her that I won’t ever give up on searching. I’d always tell her, “Mom, you’re always going to be here but yea, I promise.” Needless to say, I made that promise to her on her death bed in the hospital.

I stopped my search for about a year after she passed away but I started thinking about the promise, so I started it back up heavy. I must say God has really opened up some doors on my journey and I’ve learned so much , especially the past 4 years. I’m praying for more doors to open and that I’ll get to have my reunion with my birth family soon. God has placed several people in my life over the past 9 months that have really helped me in my search and I’m very thankful for them and all they are doing. I’m praying for all of you out there that have been adopted and are currently searching for your birth families. Please don’t ever give up. Keep your chin up and keep praying. Doors will open. I’m proof of that.

Thanks, Rita B