The Search For An Identity Part 1

My name was Marsha Hammett. I had been raised by Genine and Greg Hammett. I first met them when I was five years old. I vagely remember that day. All I remember was Genine and Greg smiling at me and saying sweetly, "Hello, Marsha. We're your new parents." From that point on they were my mom and dad

I had never known my real parents. I didn't even know if they were alive. I always wondered what had happened to them. Did they die and have no one to take care of me? Did thay not want me and gave me up for adoption? Did my mom even know who my dad was? Was there any way that I could ever find them? These questions haunted me for most of my childhood.

Mom and Dad had always taken care of me. They were great parents. Yet, I wanted more. I wanted an identity.

On my eighteenth birthday I decided to search for them. I was so afraid. Would they like me? What would Mom and Dad say? Would I even be able to find them? I swallowed my fear and drove to the orphanige where I had lived during my earlier years. I walked through the halls to the main office. As I turned the knob I thought to my self, "Am I ready for this? Should I wait?"

The office was a small room with only a desk and two chairs. A woman with dark hair was sitting at the desk. "Hello. Can I help you?" She asked. I noddedand then sat down. "Name?"

"Marsha Hammett."

"Were you adopted?"

"Yes."

"By who?"

"Ganine and Greg Hammett."

"In what year?"

"1991."

"Birthdate?"

"Sometime in August 1986. I'm not quite sure when."

"Are you looking for your biological parents?"

I thought for a second and then said, "Yes."

The woman smiled and said, "I think we may be able to help you."

The woman's name was Wilma Huff. She and I talked for a while. Towards the end of our discusion she pulled out a large yellow folder. "This is your identity. In this envalope it states where you were born, who your parents were, and everything else you will need to know."

I smiled and thanked her.

"Remember," she said. "Find them when your ready. There's no nead to force yourself to find them if your not ready." We smiled at each other and then I left.

At home I lyed on my bed just staring at the yellow folder. I wasn't ready to open it yet. Mom came into my room.

"Hi, Sweetie. How's it going?" Mom asked.

I sighed and answered, "I'm still not sure if I should open it yet."

She gave a warm smile and said, "You can open whenever you want to." I smiled at her. She always knew how to comfort someone.

Later on that day I finally got the courage to open the folder. My birth certificate lay on top. I looked at it. It said that my real name is Jane Snyder. I looked at the bottem. My birth mom's name was Jillian Snyder and that my biological dad's name was Henry Grun. I gave a large sigh of relief. I knew what my biological parents' names were. I skimmed over the rest of the cirtificate. It said where I was born in, that I was a female, that I was hispanic, and that I was born on the fifteenth of August. For a moment I felt like crying out of joy.

I lookedthrough the rest of the yellow folder. Apparently my parents were never married an my dad died before I was born. I still wasn't ready to meet my birth mom, but I would soon.

Now it is a month later. I think I'm finally ready to meet my birth mom. Mom and dad are wishing me luck. I'm so afraid. I hope she likes me.

After a two hour drive I am finally at her house. She lives in an old, shabby neighborhood. Her apartment is number thirteen.

Now I'm at the door. I take a deap breath. I knock on the door. I hear rustling inside as someone comes to open the door. Someone is opening up the door. I suppose now I will just have to wait and see what happens.