Story of the Week
August 23, 2004
This story was written by Margaret Amy Koning, from Picton, Ontario . Margaret is 31 years old and was born in Hamilton, Ontario. She has four children - two girls and two boys. She lives with her common-law spouse, Rick McKenna. Margaret does volunteer work at her children's school. She works with her youngest one's class, which is the Junior Kindergarten's. She helps his teacher in the afternoon, and whenever the teacher needs it. Margaret enjoys writing children's stories, and she reads them to her children. She hopes that she will get them published sooner or later. She attends the Prince Edward Learning Centre in Picton. She is getting help on her stories with grammar and spelling. She has also been doing Math to upgrade her skills. She is looking for part or full time work.
The following story is a true story about part of her life. Margaret and her birth brother were separated by adoption when he was a year old, and she was two and a half. She finally found him after 30 years of wondering and knowing about him.
The Search Has Finally Come To The End
Margaret Koning
Throughout the years I thought I was the biological child of the Konings, but once I hit thirteen years of age I was told by the Konings that I was adopted. They told me that in a couple of years down the road they would help me search for my birth family, but they never did, so I was on my own.
At the age of twenty-two I lived in Vancouver B.C. I made a phone call to the Children's Aide Society, asking them if they would help me search for my birth parents. I filled out a application that was sent to me from Ontario. Then a couple of months later I heard back from them, and they told me that they had found my birth mother. She first called me, and we talked, and we kept in contact with each other through letters, and phone calls.
As the years went by I needed desperately to get out of this physical, and emotional abuse I was receiving from my spouse, and the way he was treating our three children. I was in a shelter, and the children were in Foster Care, and I was alone. So, I called my birth mother for help to come and get me. Once I was away from my spouse I would arrange for the children to be transferred down to wherever I was. So my birth mother came and got me with some friends of hers. Later on since I was in Picton, Ontario I had the children transferred down to Picton, Ontario, out in Waupoose where they lived with a very nice family.
I went back and forth to court to get my children back. Also during that time I was introduced to my birth family. I got to know them. Once I got the children back we all became one family, and part of my birth family, as well as my children too. Once I got to know my birth family, that was the happiest day of our lives.
As the years went by I still felt like there was a piece of my family's puzzle missing, and from my children's lives too. So, one day I asked my birth mother if there was anyone else that I haven't met yet. She told me that their was someone else that I haven't met yet, and that was my younger brother. When she told me that I had a younger brother, I knew that was the missing piece to my family's puzzle, so I knew my search wasn't yet over. Mt mother told me that she had already met him, and that someday she would introduce me to him.
Many years had gone by, and I still hadn't met my younger brother yet. So, once again I confronted my birth mother about it. She told me that he was killed in a construction accident, and that he left behind three children, and a wife. As soon as she told me that, my hopes of ever completing the family puzzle were no longer, and I was sad that I would never know my younger brother. So I gave up.
A couple of years had gone by, as I thought about what my birth mother said about my younger brother, and a voice kept on telling me; 'Don't give up your search Margaret, it is not true what your birth mother told you about your younger brother, go find out/for yourself the truth and I guarantee you'll be happy that you did it'.
So in November or December of 2003 I did what that one voice told me to do. I went to the Children's Aide Society, and talked with one of the workers named Marie Cragion, who is the Adoption Disclosure Worker, and what she told me which was that my younger brother was still alive. He's not married, and doesn't have any children. As soon as I heard that I was so happy. I told her that I would like to find him, and how to go about doing it. She helped me fill out a wide world search application to search for my younger brother, and once that was done she mailed it away to Toronto, and told me to wait to hear back from them. So I went home, and realized that more waiting had to be done before I complete my family's puzzle.
In January 2004 I heard back from Marie, and I was told they found a match, and that his name was changed, and all we had to do was write a letter to each other, and fill out a consent form to release information to each other. So we each did that, and wrote to each other. February 2004 we got each other's letters, and we had a chance to talk on the phone for the first time. Then on a Wednesday February 25, 2004 we finally met each other. The first time we met we were both nervous, and didn't know to either shake or hug, so we just shook each other's hands, and talked, and visited for an hour.
After a hour's visit he was determined to meet his nieces, and nephews. So I took him to the school to meet the kids, and visit them for a bit. Then we took him over to where I lived, and showed him around the house. We got along really well. Now my dream's of meeting my younger birth brother finally came true after thirty-years of wondering, and waiting payed off. That was the best day of mine, and the kids lives. Now I'm glad I listened to that voice. Thank you Lord for this big day of reunion.
The children are happy to know they have another uncle. We will keep in touch with each other for now, and with the Father's willingness forever. Now my puzzle is finally completed after thirty years.
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