Birth Parents

All of our children are adopted.  At some point, they make contact with their birth parents.  Today was Belladonna's turn.

I drove her to Grand Rapids, about 75 miles away.  We ate lunch with her birth (biological) dad.

He did not even know that he had fathered her until 2009.  At the time of her conception, he and Belladonna's mother had a falling out.  Belladonna's mother made a mistake in timing regarding her birth father.

Belladonna's actual birth father would likely not have signed off on giving Belladonna up for adoption. 

I could see the pain, the grieving, in his eyes as I talked about being able to watch her play basket ball and do other, normal kid things.

By all appearances, Belladonna's birth dad is a solid guy in more than one way.  While eating lunch he mentioned that he has been wasting away as he advances in the years (he is about 40).  He can only benchpress 300 pounds.  I threw my arm around him when we were doing pictures.  He was not bull zhitting.  He has the muscle mass to bench 300.  Belladonna came by her strength honestly.

Belladonna was delighted to learn that he had played professional football for three years.  I was delighted to learn that he used to drive a Cavalier.

Sometimes things happen.  His loss was our gain.

He now works down in Mississippi so visits are likely to be infrequent.

While pictures were taken none will be shared.  It was Belladonna's moment and her birth father's moment.  It will stay that way.