These past two months have been very busy for searchangels. Amongst the numerous cases I’ve been involved in, two individuals stepped forward with so many details I was able to find their birth family they were looking for in a less than a week. If that were only true for the many others who have spent decades looking for their first family.
There was also a mishap in the mix, where emails were not being delivered to me, or the adoptees and birth family I was reaching out to. Searching is complicated enough without technical challenges getting in the way. While I feel I have resolved all the email difficulties, there have been many other responsibilities outside of my searches that have eaten precious time.
So I have been attempting to balance my schedule better and attain more accuracy in the moments I do dedicate to genealogy and search. Occasionally I shift my attention back to my own family and came across an individual who is help one of my distant cousins with their genealogy. I asked to have guest access to the tree she was managing so I could understand how we might be related.
Well, she was more than gracious to share the knowledge and then explained why the tree was hidden. She was helping her nephews through genetic genealogy and research to find birth family. Obviously sharing a similar passion for helping people in a similar way, I shared a link to my website and explained my philanthropy. To my pleasant surprise she showed a keen interest in helping volunteer her adapt research skills and puzzle solving knack by volunteering to join up.
I am very happy to have made the new acquaintance, as I’ve not only gained more knowledge about a distant relative, but also a dedicated searcher. Behind the countless hours of research, documentation, chromosome matching and genealogy there is a profound and humbling connection many of us have never quite been able to manifest into real people with roots that stretch far back into a rich and colorful history we all deserve.
So welcome Suzanne Hall to our ranks! May your time with us yield experiences that go well past the feeling of solving a complex puzzle, but seizing a lifetime of lost experiences and knowledge to yet another adoptee or birth parent.