The next sound I would hear would be my son's voice. This moment was the culmination of 29 years of searching each and every male face in a crowd and six months of intense actual searching. I relinquished my son in Ohio in 1965. I was 18. My story is one we have all heard many times.
Girl meets boy, falls in love, gets pregnant.
Neither ready for marriage so everyone convinces girl that relinquishment is best for the child. The search itself was not mine alone. Luckily, I found a wonderful therapist in Seattle, Donna Portuesi, M.S.W., to guide me, support me, and convince me my decision to search was the right one. She possessed a comprehensive understanding of birthmother issues through education and the personal experience of herself being a reunited birthmother. I was fortunate to have the love and understanding of a wonderful husband, George, and my best friend, Holly, who listened endlessly to my search dilemmas, emotional issues and fears.