My story begins in the womb of a 14 year old girl in Florida in roughly May of 1966. An older boy in her neighborhood snuck her out of the house, they went for a ride, and apparently he got her pregnant (I don’t neither need nor want to know the details of that outing).
As far as I’m told, that was the only “outing” they had together. Well, as time went by, she started to notice she was pregnant but tried to hide it as long as she could. She was part of a very abusive strict Catholic family.
During this frightening period she tried drinking some kind of poison that was supposed to induce abortions but it didn’t work. She also considered finding someone to give her an abortion. However, at that time abortions were illegal (thank God) and it would have been done by someone off the street, probably involving a coat hanger.
Anyway, by the grace of God, her father figured out she was pregnant and immediately sent her to St. Vincent’s For Unwed Mothers in Miami, FL.
Meanwhile, the most wonderful woman in the world (Dorothy “Dot” Hamilton) had been trying to have a child for years but was unable to do so. She was married for 20 years and they had been trying so desperately for a child. When they realized it wasn’t going to happen, they put in an application to adopt. I don’t know what year that was but apparently it took several years for the adoption process to be approved. I don’t know what date she was told the exciting news but before I was even born the adoption was all set in stone and she knew I was coming. I was born at Mercy Hospital in Miami, FL on February 25th, 1967. I have my adoption papers showing that my parents officially adopted me one month later. However, I believe I was brought to my new mom’s home about two weeks after I was born.
Now I don’t want this to be a sad story to anyone but I have to add a couple of facts. The reason I know all of those disturbing details is because I met my birth mom in 2004. She is a nice woman but has had a very troubled life. She is schizophrenic and bi-polar and has been on disability basically her whole life. She comes from a very dysfunctional family, including suicides, abuse, and institutionalizations. Speaking with her over these past few years is how I know all of those details.
Now for my adoptive mom, Dot. She was the most wonderful woman anyone had ever met! Never (AND I MEAN NEVER) has there ever been anyone who did not like her. She was full of love, had the most genuine smile, loved to laugh, and I inherited her wonderful sense of humor. Unfortunately, when I was two years old my adoptive father just up and left the both of us. Apparently, he was jealous of the close relationship I had with my mom. But that aside, my mom and I had the best relationship for many many years to come. You could say that I’m the “mama’s boy of all mama’s boys.” I owe my love of all good people, God, and Country to her. I could write several books on all of the wonderful things my mom did, but you get the picture.
Sadly, in 1998 cancer took my mom’s life when she was only 67. Nevertheless, I feel her spirit next to me each day of my life and I thank God every single day for placing me in my mom’s home in Coral Gables, FL back in 1967. I look forward to being reunited with her one day in Heaven.
