Being adopted at the age of 10, I was naturally very curious about getting to know my biological mother. I always wondered who I looked like, where I got my eye color, sassy attitude, clumsiness and where my really small feet came from. I had so many questions left unanswered. When I turned 18, I began my search for my biological mother, and then chose to go to college in Mankato so that I could be closer to her. Fortunately, my story is a happy one, as I have gotten to reconnect with her after all these years. After a little prodding, my mom agreed to an interview for Her Campus so that both you (the reader) and I can get to know her a little better.
Where are you originally from?
“Born here in Mankato, moved to Rochester, then Lakeville where I graduated from Lakeville High.”
What did you do after High School?
“I attended Normandale Community College, decided to take a year off and met your older sister’s Dad, got pregnant with her. When she was older, I went back to Dakota County Technical College, where I received my travel agent certificate. Met and married your dad and had you and your brothers, later in 2007 got my real estate license. Divorced and went back to college in 2010 to Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College for business management.”
Favorite color?
“Green.”
Are you more of a leader or a follower?
“More of a leader. I don’t like to follow directions or rules, unless they’re my own.”
What’s your superpower?
“I can predict when things will happen, I can sense when something bad will happen, or when one of you kids is in trouble – my mother called it a mother’s intuition, your dad just tells me I’m a know it all.”
What’s the best dating advice anyone has ever given you?
“Always watch your drink, watch the person pour it or pour it yourself, you can never be too sure. Go dutch and buy your own food! That way you don’t feel like you owe anyone sexual favors for taking you out. Go in groups if you don’t know the person and tell someone where you’re going, especially with the internet nowadays…. you can never be too sure.”
What was the hardest life lesson you’ve learned?
“The foster system will always win. They twist everything you say to make you seem like a bad person, and they did everything they could to get you kids taken away from me. The foster system isn’t there to help families, they’re out to destroy them. A child should never be taken from their natural families. I caught a social worker on tape saying that there was no reason I was a bad mother, they just thought 4 kids was too much for a single mother to handle. Many foster parents treat kids like crap, foster kids are just a meal check to those people. While there are a few good homes, many of them can’t handle fosters in addition to their own kids, so they put the foster children in shelters like your sister or just kick them out entirely.”
Any words of advice?
“You can never plan for the unexpected in life. Even if you make plans, life will find a way to change them on you.”
Moms always give the best advice. Whether they are your natural, adopted, or whatever maternal figure in your life that you are blessed to have, treasure them always and heed the warnings they give you. You will discover 99.99% of the time they are right, as they have probably been in your shoes before.
I would like to thank my beautiful mother for agreeing to this interview, and for giving me the motherly advice that I have so greatly missed out on all these years. I’m blessed to have you in my life!
(Pictured above is my mother and I at my High school graduation party.)