At Last We Meet
This is the first time my parents met me. In this photo, my mother tried to show me love but I was not ready to receive it. This image is so heartbreaking for so many reasons.
You can feel the intensity in my mother’s embrace. She has waited her whole life for this moment. She has so much love to give.
I am terrified. I had just experienced life-changing trauma. I was separated from my birth mother. The only family and home I ever knew. My whole world is about to change.
If I had the chance to speak to my two-year-old self in this photo I would say: You are going to be adopted by a loving family who is going to give you the world.
They are going to give you a life filled with love and happiness, and opportunities that would be a mere dream if you were to stay in Romania. One day you will return to this place you once called home. It will no longer be familiar, but you will reunite with your birth mother and your family and get a glimpse of what your life would have been.
Romanian adoptee and Author Yael Adler wrote From Gypsy to Jersey to share her uplifting personal story, in the hopes of inspiring others who want to learn more about their past and uncover their roots.
Yael shares her hopes and fears as she makes the journey back, ultimately connecting with her Roma (Gypsy) family and learning about a fascinating culture. Yael enjoys being active in the adoption community and savors every opportunity to listen and learn from other adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth families. To learn more about Yael visit her website, and follow her on Instagram.