Monday, December 15, 2008

It's not just a piece of paper

I hope everyone had a nice, peaceful and/or productive weekend. I was lucky enough to be invited to a lovely ladies-only holiday brunch yesterday. There were several women there whom I knew, and also some I did not know. The food was spectacular: several kinds of quiches (including artichoke & cheddar - who knew that combo would be so fab?), breads, pumpkin-apple bisque, and yummy desserts. There were even some decorate-them-yourself cookies with an awesome name: Chai Spice Girl Cookies.

It was a very nice time, and we were incredibly fortunate to have in our midst a high school music teacher, who sat down at the piano and played Christmas carols for us to sing along to - I was in heaven! Christmas sing-alongs are probably one of my favorite activities ever. Yes, I know it's kind of cliche, but who cares? I LOVED IT and added the harmony to everyone else's melody for over an hour.

The rest of the time, everyone mingled and conversed in little groups. At one point, I was chatting with three other ladies, and the subject of my birth certificate quest came up - though not because I brought it up.

One of the other women said to me, "what difference could it make to have it? It's just a piece of paper. It doesn't mean anything."

Wow. I had no answer for her. How could I possibly explain what it would mean to me? That piece of paper will have the name of the person who gave birth to me on it. My blood-related mother. If you didn't know your mother's name, what would it mean to you to finally get the piece of paper that would tell you?

Even though I was so very fortunate to have had a wonderful, loving family, there still is this thing inside me. This thing that makes me a little bit different than almost everybody else. Most of the time, it doesn't matter to me at all, but one thing does bother me. I want to KNOW.

They say knowledge is power. For me, it's not about power. It's about finding out something I think I have a right to know. It's about finally knowing where I came from. It's a lot more than just a piece of paper.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Which is precisely why I don't attend women-only quiche brunches anymore.

Seriously, though, I would have asked her for all her cash and told her she obviously didn't need it. I mean, it IS only paper after all.

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

Just wondering if you think that not having your original birth certificate is the ONLY thing that makes you a LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN ALMOST EVERYBODY ELSE?

I have a list started...

Hallie :)

Laura ~Peach~ said...

WOW be oh so grateful I was not there.... As I get older I find the control switch between my brain mouth malfunctions at times and I probably would have turned a nice party into a blubbering mess...
LOL Hallie... I do think its time for said list...cause I bet ME is not so much different as she thinks... other than that ONE PIECE of PAPER... ARGGGGGGGGGGG
I can still 16 years later get the butterflys and sick feeling when I hold that one peice of IDENTIFYING INFORMATION(not BC but actual peice of paper with the names ss numbers and address and phone numbers of my bio parents)
It is indescribable!!!!!
Just a peice of paper... goes to show what ONE lady knows...
SHUT UP LAURA.... she did not mean anything by it she does not knwo any better... JUST a peice of PAPER BLAH.

Heather said...

WOW! Such ignorance for a grown woman. Doesn't she realize that the Declaration of Independence is just a piece of friggin paper too??? WTF is wrong with some people????

Alice said...

For those of us following your journey, we know what that piece of paper means to you. And we can't wait for you to find it and find that part of your life that you have every right to know about.

Kim said...

Hopefully that came from one of the women you didn't know. And assuming so, just pretend you still don't know her and you may not ever see her again. If you do see her again, whip out that birth certificate and rub her face in it!

Unknown said...

she's an idiot

Odette said...

Whoa, that if nothing else is just incredibly insensitive. I think that Andrew has a good point, you should have asked her for all her money! Some people say things without really thinking! Been thinking about you in my absence!

Reddirt Woman said...

Hmmm, let's see, Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation, all just pieces of paper... I got a piece of paper for that woman...

HERE'S YOUR SIGN...

Idiotic people make me crazy. Non-thinking, non-feeling... I'm with Andrew. That's why I don't attend women only brunches.

Helen

Reddirt Woman said...

Got so carried away I forgot to tell you I posted a pup-up-date...

Helen

Cupcake Blonde said...

"Just" a piece of paper? How about we tell her we'll take the birth certificate of her or one of her loved ones and change the names? Since it's "just" a piece of paper it should not matter, right? She knows who she is. Honestly, people just tick me off with their ignorance.

Shellie said...

Wow, that one is way down at the bottom of the learning curve. I hope she can learn a bit more about what that piece of paper means through you. I totally agree with how you feel on that one. AND I also love belting out carols along with the radio in my car :)