I remember when I was younger, some of my classmates made fun of me, and called me 'adopted'. At the time, I wasn't sure what adopted meant, so it never occurred to me why my classmates called me that.
A few days after, I remember asking the both of you about what 'adopted' was. I remember you asking me where I heard it, and why I wanted to know what it meant.
The both of you sat me down, and told me what adopted meant. It confused me a bit at first, since ever since I was little, the both of you were the parents that I knew. I also didn't understand why my biological parents chose to leave me. Did I do something wrong? Was there something wrong with me?
I remember crying when I learned about it, but it wasn't because of the both of you. I was sad that my biological parents left me, but on the other hand, I was happy that the both of you took care of me.
"You never made me feel like I was adopted"
Thankfully, I never felt like I was an outsider. I never felt that being adopted was something to be ashamed about, nor did I feel that it was something that I should hide.
I was proud to have you as my parents, since you never made me feel like I was adopted. As far as I was concerned, the both of you were my real parents since.
All of the firsts in my life, the both of you were there. I remember dad being there for me when my first crush told me she didn't like me back. And I remember mom hugging me tightly and making everything feel better right after my beloved dog, Dexter, passed away.
"I'm glad to have you as my parents"
I guess that my only regret in life was that I never met my biological parents. I want to meet them not because my life feels incomplete, but I just want to ask them why they left me in the first place.
And honestly, if I could choose between being adopted, or being with my biological parents, I'll still choose being adopted.
We might not be related by blood, but that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that you raised me to be your son, and you taught me all the things that I know. Even with our relatives, I never felt that I was an outsider. I always felt that I belonged to our family, and for that, I'm very grateful.
I want to thank the both of you, mom and dad, because you chose me as your son. You chose to take care of me, a complete stranger, and made me a part of your lives. Thank you, and I love you.
READ: An open letter to my father who left us for another woman