Episode 355: Unveiling My Roots: A Journey Through Adoption and Ancestral Discovery

Embark with me, Sean Clinch, on a profoundly personal quest to unveil the hidden chapters of my life story. Tracing my genealogical past, I've navigated the poignant labyrinth that is adoption, bearing the complex weight of identity and longing etched within. As I share the warmth and nurturing embrace of my adoptive mother, the late realization of my biological mother's passing tugs at the heartstrings with a bittersweet symphony of emotions. Witness the moment when I gaze upon the faces of my ancestors for the first time, finding in them a mirror of my own features—a tapestry of recognition and wonderment that charts the intricate connections between past and present.

Join us as we prepare for the heartwarming convergence of my biological family and me this April, a gathering ripe with anticipation and buoyed by camaraderie. Encouragement flows from friends who have become my chosen kin, and welcoming messages from newfound relatives paint a picture of an awaiting embrace. This space is not just for my own reflections but also for those among you who carry similar stories of adoption and the search for connection. Together, we partake in a journey of reunion and discovery that speaks to the very essence of belonging and the immeasurable value of shared experiences.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hi, this is Sean Clinch, the host of Stories Inside the Mankabe Podcast, and this episode is brought to you by friends at Shoal Creek Saloon, your unofficial home to UT men's and women's basketball. We're going to take a different twist and the goal behind these many episodes involving the topic of adoption and finding your biological family is something I'm going to create a few many episodes about, because it's what I'm going through right now. I'm seeking my biological family let's talk about it Loom and finding members of your own family whom your blood related to and look like you or resemble. It's a topic not many people really discuss. It's really not been a subject that I've discussed with many. But before we get started, I got to give a shout out to these two major sponsors of Stories Inside the Mankabe Podcast. They've been really good friends and like family. Shoal Creek Saloon Of course it's crawfish season. Those mud bugs are now a good size and a good price. Right now it's an iconic Austin original Shoal Creek Saloon. Give Brian a ray of shout until everybody. You're a fan and friend of Stories Inside the Mankabe Podcast. Of course, honest plumbing in there. The name has changed, but same great service and it's where a handshake means something.

Speaker 1: 1:52

So how do we get started with this Seeking my biological family? You know I really I want to start with my sister, cindy. She and I both were adopted by Linda Clinch, whom I refer to as Mama C, my sister, back in 2011, back when I was still working in Oklahoma City before I returned to Austin. After two decades, she found a woman and I don't want to share her name just yet because I haven't really discussed revealing that with her and I don't want that to happen, but just yet because there's going to be multiple chapters or different episodes on the progress of this and this woman helped my sister find her biological mother. Well, when I returned to Austin in late 2012, keep in mind, I had been curious, and my mom and my dad, they told me at a younger age I must have been 11 or 12 that I was adopted, maybe earlier than that, but I always had a curiosity, which is human nature, about who they were, what they look like. I mean, I always wanted to see somebody who has same features I have a large forehead and probably men who are bald or bald-ing. So it inspired me and I waited until 2014,. I emailed the individual who helped my sister. She agreed to help me, but I didn't follow through.

Speaker 1: 3:23

Well, fast forward to December of 2023. I had conversations with my mother and for years about trying to figure out my health, my genes, inherited genetics, genes toward the health side, my family history because I never could answer it. Because I've been one who's been proactive about my health for as long as I can remember get the annual checkups, the wellness checks, blood work, everything done. I was very proactive, always been a very healthy human, but I never could answer it. My doctor here locally, amy Kowalski, who has been a good partner in helping me be proactive. Well, we've had all these tests and everything done. Just assuming that I am, I have an unknown genetic having tests, assuming maybe I inherited something that could harm me health-wise. Well, december of 2023, I reached out to this woman that my sister used. Again, I followed up nine years later and she agreed to help and helped me track the path of genealogy and help find my biological family.

Speaker 1: 4:47

I definitely want to start with my adopted mother. We all know everybody. I've referred to her quite a bit as Mama C. There she is, and why this is a part of the story here is because I just want to let everyone know who doesn't already. This woman provided me with a great life, a lot of love, helped me achieve my dreams, encouraged me to be independent, on the left's at my college graduation from Stephen F Austin, next to my father's mother, whom I called GMAW, who I was very close to, and on the right. That says it all. That says it all. Right there, the love, a beautiful, human, amazing mother, just everything a young man could ask for as far as having a good upbringing, a good life, and just everything a mom you could ask for in a mother. In fact, she with me. She was a Longhorn fan. There she is with the former Texas women's basketball coach, karen Ashton, who's now the head coach at UT San Antonio. Mama C was a devoted Longhorn fan, demoted mother and a devoted family member and loved her friends. And again, the reason why I wanted to show you this is because I had a good life, didn't have everything, but I had everything I needed because of that woman.

Speaker 1: 6:18

And she passed away in May of last year and as you can see by these photos, just proof I was raised well, Goofy, terrible hair, a lot of blonde curls and my mom supported me through everything, every ambition. I close them up back. Everything a kid could ask for active, everything Through this individual who helped me is helping me currently. We here. Recently she called and told me that I've got some bad, great and good and bad news. What does it call? Her Said your mother passed away in 2021 due to COVID. This was as recently as last week.

Speaker 1: 7:14

While we're working with Ancestrycom I'm waiting on my results from 23andMe. There's been some communication, but I allowed Inez access to my Ancestrycom. I did a little homework myself, but Inez has been phenomenal, just a beautiful soul, said. My mom passed away in Texarkana three years ago due to COVID. My mom I don't want to reveal the name, we'll just call her Carol and that's what her name is and these pictures of her and my maternal grandparents on the left Now you kind of see some.

Speaker 1: 7:56

I finally see somebody whom I look like or resemble. That's my mother's father and mother. The grandfather. Look at this bald dome, similar face, similar facial features and my grandmother smile. A lot of people who I've shared this with resemble me, or I resemble her. And the eyes on the right is my beautiful biological mother, carol. She was in Austin a beautician. She was married in 1968. And, like many of us, just like me, I she went through a divorce. I went through a divorce before, over a decade ago. Well, this woman was pregnant with me, obviously in 1973. I was forced to. They had to make a decision and I was put up for adoption. And then in came Linda and David Clinch, my mother and father, who adopted me. Well, I have spoken to two first cousins of Carol, my biological mother.

Speaker 1: 9:10

Two and a half hour conversation this past Sunday Motional, a lot of war, a lot of information revealed. Everything's makes sense Beautiful families, three groups of this family, large family, very close, tight knit, and I just makes me wonder why. Now, why and I start realizing why I came from amazing group of cousins, great aunts and uncles, grandparents. I couldn't ask for a better adopted family. In fact, I'm very close to a lot of my cousins and I couldn't ask for better. But now I'm establishing relationships with three groups of families under one umbrella, tied to my biological mother, carol, beautiful lady, beautiful lady, and the things I've heard about her. I'm starting to realize that's who I am Outgoing, loving around people loved to entertain. In fact, this was a picture of my mother, biological mother, before she passed in 2021.

Speaker 1: 10:41

A couple of very close friends of mine who were like brothers, to me and said, oh my God, that's clenched with a wig on and that's a compliment to her.

Speaker 1: 10:54

I hope one day and I hope she's smiling down with my mother, mama C I have a feeling that they all had a hand in this in some way spiritually made this happen, because now I've already have a meeting on the calendar with a part of my biological family in April whom I will get to see and spend time with, and I have had several messages, emails, text messages all of which have basically said they're open arms to me and I'm glad to hear to tell the story.

Speaker 1: 11:30

And the reason why is for if you are adopted or if maybe you're an individual who had a child, who had to put that child up for adoption, I want to make a comfort area, make you feel comfortable to tell your story and to seek that child and vice versa, for people like me, seek your biological family. That's it, and I think for now that's a good stopping point, because there's going to be more to come, more to come, and it's definitely going to be a beautiful addition to my life. I feel it, I really do, and I'll share stories with you guys and as we move forward at this. I didn't think it would happen so quickly. One thing's for sure seeking my biological family. The only thing to do that's productive is talk about it.