Janie Bush (JB): I loved being pregnant, but I decided that the best thing to do was to make an adoption plan.
You were born with spina bifida.
I was contacted by a child welfare woman. She told me that you would probably die, and convinced me that the thing to do was sign you over to the state for care.
Tracey Bush (TB): Did you ever try to find me?
JB: I didn’t try to find you because I believed that you were dead.
TB: Wow, I never knew that.
TB: I always knew about my birth mom. I knew I was named after you. And there was a time, and I don’t know if you know this, that I would only go by Jane. If they called me Tracey, I wouldn’t answer.
JB: When the residence that you were assigned to was going to close, the couple that owned it decided to adopt you.
JB: And then the time came that your adoptive mother called me. And she just started telling me about you and then asked if I wanted to talk to you.
TB: I could hear the smile in your voice.
JB: After the conversation, I wrote in my journal: “Tracey Jane M, 12 years old. Her voice sounds like mine. I am overwhelmed. Sunday can’t be here soon enough.”
Because we had made plans to meet. And as it turned out, Sunday was Mother’s Day.
TB: I couldn’t really grasp the concept of meeting a mom, because I had a mom, but I got to meet this new lady that I had pictured my whole life, this new lady who wanted to actually meet me. That’s what I remember most.
I remember paying extra attention to my hair that day, making sure my hair was really shiny since I thought that’s probably something we had in common.
And I remember just looking at you and thinking how pretty you were. The sun being on our faces and going home, I remember just feeling warm like that sunshine and what an absolutely perfect moment that was.
JB: Now we’re 34 years later…
And I’m really glad to have you back.
TB: Me too.
JB: I love you.
TB: I love you too.
