My Jigsaw.

Remember that I said that this year is a time for me to flourish and a time for discovery?
A time for discovering secrets that have been hidden?
A bit like mining - discovering gold and treasure, precious jewels that have been hidden, deep in the dark.?
When they come to light then they can truly shine and sparkle and reveal their true beauty and full glory.
Remember?
I have begun discovering a little of my history and begun the journey of putting some pieces of the jigsaw of my life together.
An exciting journey but I don't know how many pieces this jigsaw contains or the picture that I am creating.
Yet.
A couple of years ago I began making inquiries into my adoption and discovering my family roots. When I was adopted, the 1958 Adoption law was that I would never be able to discover anything of my original family. The adoption law changed in 1975 and still stands. Adoptees and their parents can find out information / contact family members once they reach age 18. Information written down and kept, hidden, archived and has to be kept for 100 years.
Imagine!
Some adoptees were told of some of their family history and others very little information. In the same way the notes on record can vary.
For example, I have written down in my records my birth mother's date of birth but not where she was born. Other people might just have written down in their records just their birth mother's age. I was lucky to have been told some facts and to have had some important leads written down in my hidden notes that are kept for 100 years.
Adoptions are done very differently now here in England and often adoptees have some contact with their birth family.
I have always known that I was adopted and knew a certain amount but I have been fascinated and delighted to read over these last few weeks the information that was written down surrounding my adoption. Information that was kept and hidden, secret, buried treasure, surrounding parts of my identity and my history all these years under the understanding that it would never be read.
I am thrilled that I now have it and have read it.
Ha x
The first 20 Pieces of the unknown jigsaw discovered so far have revealed:
1. my full original given birth name. (I knew some of this)
2. my birth mother's full name. (I knew her surname)
3. where she lived when I was born.
4. her occupation and where she worked. (I knew some of this)
5. her marital status. (I knew this)
6. her nationality.
7. her medical history. (I knew this)
8. where she lived shortly after I was born.
9. her wishes for my future care.(I knew some of this)
10. a name, age and nationality for my father.
11. my birth mother's date of birth.
12. some of the circumstances surrounding my initial care before my adoption.
13. A report written from some notes surrounding my adoption,some of what the professionals thought and some correspondence and what the judge said when my adoption order was granted.
14. my original birth certificate.
15. my birth mother's birth certificate.
16. where she was born
17. the names of her parents.
18. my grandmother's middle name turns out to be Lucy!
19. my grandfather was a fruit grower!
20. An initial search in ancestry websites is continuing to begin to discover more about my birth mother and my named father and any possible relatives.