My name is Florencia.

I´m 32 years old. I’m a psychologist, a scientific researcher and a writer. I’m also an adoptee. I found out about my adoption when I was 10 years old, at school.

At home, my adoptive parents told me that I was born from my mother’s heart, and at school we were told that babies came from the belly. My parents always spoke to me with the truth, the truth that they knew, and they promised to be by my side no matter what. They were willing to confront anything for me, and I will always thank them for that.

I decided to undertake the search of my identity at the age of 18, alone. That’s how I felt it had to be done, even though I had my family’s support. I wanted to wait until I was 18 years old, don’t ask me why, I just felt that that was the right time. Long time before, I had imagined and dreamed of an encounter with my birth mother, despite the expected fears that I had, nothing stopped me from going ahead. My goal was clear. I wanted to know who I looked like, if I had biological siblings, and why the woman who gave birth to me had made that decision. I always told myself that I didn’t want to leave this world without thanking the woman who carried me for 9 months in her womb, for the possibility she gave me to live and be happy with another family.

My wish came true very quickly. Two months after I began looking for her, I found her. She was looking for me, too. And I was surprised because she had also wanted me. In that first encounter (or I should say second, because the first one was the day of my birth) we gave each other a warm embrace that seemed to last an eternity (I share my complete story with more detail in my book “La Hija”). That embrace marked a before and an after in my life, but it didn’t change that much my feelings, neither towards her nor towards my loved ones, everything remained the same in that aspect. But I did learn not to judge, to value what happened to me in this life, and to be grateful for the people I have by my side. This is the way it was supposed to be, there was a reason why this happened. I managed to close my story, an incomplete circle, my identity.

What would have happened if I’d kept the prejudices and fears in my mind? It took me two years to process and accept everything I had experienced. I did not lack emotional support from my psychologist, who was with me throughout the whole process, or my family. When there is love, it’s impossible for things to go wrong, and luckily, I never lacked love. Those fears, doubts and worries with which I grew up vanished in an instant with that embrace. Everything brought peace, everything brought more love, everything was worth it. From this experience, I gained a lot. Today I have more good people close to me. This was a learning process which will last for my lifetime. Today, I value and appreciate everything I have.

I advise you to talk to your loved ones, your parents and siblings. Go ahead, don’t be afraid. Tear down those fears and prejudices, there may be a great story waiting for you. Our identity is our right. What is adoption for me? The greatest act of love there is. That a father and a mother so longingly seek out a child to love for the rest of their lives is something that causes me emotions that are difficult to describe in words. It is heroic and admirable. It is true love.