It's a Small World

I was born in Copenhagen, Denmark 17:10:1948 and placed for adoption shortly after birth. I was raised well and with much love from my new life long to be, parents. As a teenager I first began to wonder about my "other" family. I knew nothing about them, but wanted to know everything. For many years, this was not to be. It became just a dream for me.

I began to search in my man years. I gathered bits and pieces of information over these years, but some how I never seemed to get any closer to finding my first family. Even after I learned my birth mother’s name and her sisters and my grandmother’s name, I was unable to find them. I learned that my birth family immigrated to the USA in 1960 and it was at this time that I lost trace of them.

I registered on every registry I could find but time seemed to be passing me by. I wondered if I would ever have the joy in my heart of knowing and finding my first family. I wondered what it would feel like to meet and see their faces and put a name to each or to put my arms around them, to hug dear and special to me. Would this come to me in my lifetime or here after, was the question I would ask myself.

I registered with the Wisconsin ICARE Adoption Registry and within what seemed like a few short hours, I had my first response, from Mary, questioning information I had submitted. She was able to do what I had been unable to do in tracing my birth family in the USA. When she emailed back she indicated she had found a family in Florida with the correct name, my heart wanted to leap from within my chest! I now had hope that seemed diminished a few days earlier.

ICARE found my birth family in less than 48-hours and I was now 48-years young in my heart!! It was with sadness that Mary told me my birth mother was deceased. I would never personally know this woman of my heart, whom I had carried within for many years. I would never hold her in my arms or give her the hug of a son to a mother.

I learned that I did have two aunts, a sister and many extended family members all eager to know me. I called my newfound aunt, Lizi, who was high into her older years and we talked across the miles and bridged across the years as we made plans to be reunited in the United States of America in January 1999.

Many conversations and phone calls later, the plane lifted us into the skies, to fly to America, and back into the lives of my First Family. I had been to America before, but this trip was different. I was going "Home" to meet my sister and my family.

I can not describe the feelings, I feel in my heart. The warmth and welcomeness of my birth family which was extended to me and my wife. It was a day not to be forgotten, but to be cherished forever. It was a day of questions and answers, hugs and kisses! Things that turn one’s life upside down but you feel glad for this new feeling.

My wife, Henny, and I flew from Florida to California to meet my only sister. My excitement was in my throat, choking me with emotions. What a glorious feeling! When I saw my sister, Vebeke, for the first time, I looked into her face and I saw the likeness of my own nose. We shared facial features that were similar and almost familiar to each other. Vibeke had known about me as a child. She began to tell others of me five years ago and most recently in the past year, she had begun to Search for me!

My life has changed and my spirit has healed. My soul is refreshed and a new friendship has been made. My heartfelt thanks go out to Mary for this important part she played in my life, when she "Touched" it and found my "Family". She also has a place in my life and in my heart for bringing me such joy and happiness. For, over the miles, she reached out and brought me "Home". It really is a small world!

Kund Bjerg Nielsen
9500 Hobro, Denmark