Lately, and perhaps it's just a coincidence, I've heard, seen, or read several cases of people who have reconnected with part of their biological family as adults. They are very different stories, but they all share a common thread: the interest and curiosity that everyone feels to know where they come from, even if their life has seemingly been without any hardship until the moment of this discovery.
This is the case of the actress Rosa Boladeras, who knew from a very young age that she was adopted and had lived with this circumstance naturally and without any resentment. But one day, as an adult, she says she felt the need to send her biological mother a message of gratitude for life. She managed to find out her name, but the woman had already passed away. And then Rosa discovered that she had a brother. She took some time to dare to write to him, and now they maintain a close relationship.
This case reminded me of that of actor Fermí Fernández, who grew up without his English mother, who gave up her newborn son. When he turned fifty, Fermí received a call from a man claiming to be his brother. He flew to meet his mother, who was still alive, his siblings, and nephews—a whole family reunited. He remembers it as a difficult yet beautiful moment.
I have also listened attentively and empathetically to the reflections of two women who have channeled their creativity from the trauma of their orphanhood. Carla Simón has made several films (where she explains, as you know, that when she was orphaned, she became part of her uncle's family and had a father, mother, and siblings). Alba Flores has made a documentary to explore the circumstances and consequences of her father's premature death. At the time, this death was experienced by the family and the entire country with a drama that had prevented her from fully grieving until now.
I'm currently reading Stefanie Kremser, who returns to the fundamental question of her scattered roots in Thanksgiving for a house (1984 Editions). At one point, the author recalls that when her biological father—who hadn't raised her—died, his children found a locked drawer containing all the documents that revealed her existence and searched for her. Stefanie Kremser was overjoyed by this discovery, which suddenly gave her two siblings, a sister-in-law, and three nephews. At this point, the author ofThanksgiving for a house He urges the reader: "Open your parents' secret drawers. It might be worth it."
These are just four cases out of the thousands that have occurred and continue to occur worldwide. People who, for various reasons, have met or reconnected with their biological families as adults, and have done so with joy and without resentment. All have managed to create, from scratch, a sense of family that hadn't arisen from living together, shared memories, or complicity. To create a feeling that, mysteriously, blossoms—like any plant—thanks to its roots. Perhaps it's because these people are especially positive and generous, but in every case, love and gratitude overcome any temptation to reproach. What a great act of thanksgiving.
