Abandoned at Birth for Her Skin Color, Eliana Discovers a Life-Changing Letter 15 Years Later

Eliana had always known she was adopted. Her adoptive parents, Michael and Cora, had been open about it from the start. They had told her that her birth parents were unable to care for her, but they never went into much detail. Living in a small town in Ohio, Eliana often felt out of place. Her caramel skin and curly hair stood out in a predominantly white community, and she couldn’t help but wonder about her origins.

One rainy afternoon, while rummaging through the attic for a school project, Eliana stumbled upon an old, dusty box labeled “Eliana’s Birth Records.” Her heart raced as she opened it, revealing a stack of papers, photographs, and a sealed envelope addressed to her. The handwriting was unfamiliar, but the name on the return address caught her eye: Alexa.

With trembling hands, Eliana opened the envelope and began to read the letter inside. It was from her birth mother, Alexa, and it was dated 15 years ago, just a few days after Eliana was born.

“Dear Eliana,

If you are reading this, it means you have grown into a beautiful young woman, and I hope you are happy and loved. I want to explain why I made the hardest decision of my life—to give you up for adoption.

Your father, Gary, and I were deeply in love, but our families were not supportive of our relationship. You see, I am white, and Gary is Black. When I became pregnant with you, our families were outraged. They couldn’t accept the idea of a mixed-race child. We tried to fight for our love and for you, but the pressure was too much. We were young and scared, and we didn’t have the means to support you on our own.

I want you to know that giving you up was not because we didn’t love you. On the contrary, we loved you so much that we wanted to give you a chance at a better life, one that we couldn’t provide at the time. I hope you can understand and forgive us.

With all my love,

Alexa”

Tears streamed down Eliana’s face as she finished reading the letter. She had always felt a void, a sense of not belonging, and now she understood why. Her birth parents had loved her deeply but were forced to make an impossible choice.

Eliana took the letter downstairs to her adoptive parents. Michael and Cora were sitting in the living room, and they looked up in surprise as she entered, clutching the letter.

“Mom, Dad, I found this in the attic,” Eliana said, her voice shaking. “It’s from my birth mother.”

Michael and Cora exchanged worried glances before Cora spoke. “We didn’t know that letter was there, sweetheart. We always wanted to tell you more, but we didn’t have much information ourselves.”

Eliana handed them the letter, and they read it together. When they finished, Cora pulled Eliana into a tight embrace. “We love you so much, Eliana. You are our daughter, and nothing will ever change that.”

Michael nodded in agreement. “We are so proud of the young woman you’ve become. If you want to find your birth parents, we will support you every step of the way.”

With her adoptive parents’ support, Eliana decided to search for Alexa and Gary. It wasn’t easy, but after months of searching, she finally found them living in a nearby state. The reunion was emotional and bittersweet. Alexa and Gary were overjoyed to see their daughter, and they spent hours talking, sharing stories, and making up for lost time.

Eliana’s journey to find her birth parents brought her a sense of closure and understanding. She realized that love knows no boundaries, and family is not just about blood but about the connections we make and the love we share.