The Adoption Story Part 4: Meeting your biological family

Like our first day in Peru 24 years ago, we were tired and jet lagged but we were up and out of the hotel after just a few hours of sleep.  Instead of meeting our daughter for the first time, she was going to meet her biological family.  We had met her biological mother and grandmother on our first visit.  Her grandmother had passed away a few years ago.  But our daughter had never met her biological mother or her older sisters.

Our friends had arranged the meeting at a small club they belonged to.  It was a simple place.  Nothing fancy.  We would talk and have lunch.  When we arrived, her mother and family were waiting for us.  The mother had brought along ten other family members to see the baby who had been adopted by the Americans.

The visit went well and I believe  helped our daughter flesh out and, as she would say, put more closure on this part of her life.  It was a bit overwhelming for all of us.  I won’t say more about this since I would like to respect the privacy of all concerned.

For the remainder of the week, we did what tourists do.  We ate.  The food was great.  Went shopping, much more expensive than 24 years ago, and we saw the sights:  the churches, presidential palace, the museums and the Pacific.

What amazed me more than anything, now as it did 24 years ago, was the connection with the Peruvian family that we had made and maintained over all these years.  It certainly wasn’t through language, since I know only a small bit of Spanish and his English isn’t always that good.  It was a way of knowing each other without words.  I recalled how this connection with my friend had helped me keep going years ago when some days were really difficult.

Peru has changed in the years since our first visit.  But the majority of the population still lives in poverty and remains illiterate.  Their average wage, I was told, is $700 a month.  But the kindness and the spirit of the people remain strong.  Many, including my friends, are optimistic about the future.

Hopefully, we will all return to Peru someday.  Our friend and his family say they will visit us in Maine.  I hope so.  But whether they do or they do not or whether we ever return to Peru, I will remember my good friend and his family and always feel grateful to them for the love and the care they showed my family.