When I was 5 years old I had a mom and a brother, but what I didn't know was I had a step dad named Greg Dawson and a dad named Patrick C. Harris. I have always known Greg as my real father. He raised me as he was a teen with my mom and married her, giving me his surname. Patrick, my biological dad, just gave me his DNA. My biological father was never a part of the picture. I remember I was only 5 when I found out my construction worker, loving, and caring Dad adopted me and raised me from birth. I was daddy's little girl and always believed I was his DNA but I have to live with knowing he isn't my real dad everyday. Instead I am another man's daughter. Knowing I was adopted made me feel uncomfortable and betrayed. It was okay in the end because I didn't have a relationship with my biological father.
This was super shocking to me at the age of 5. It was a lot to take in at such a young age. I always talk to my mom, Isabel Celeste, about me being adopted. I made up scenarios in my head like what if my dad Greg never adopted me or what if Patrick wants me as a daughter, but none of that stuff happened so my mom decided to marry Greg. I always look back at my story and say I'm lucky I didn't have to feel the pain and sadness of nobody to sing to me at night and no family to love and give me attention.
When I found out I was adopted I knew I wanted to adopt. When I got older I ended up adopting and when I looked at adoption agencies and the number of kids not getting adopted
was crazy and pretty alarming. Usually when adopting everyone goes for the babies and not the teens and toddlers even preteens. So I remember manifesting that I would adopt the ones not getting that love they need and deserve. It's so wild that I made it a goal and a dream to adopt and do just that and being so young and not knowing much.
My story inspired me to adopt, so I did just that. Currently at the youthful age of 35 I adopted an 11 year old girl named Lola I adopted in 2014. I didn't go through an adoptive center to adopt her. I knew her birth mom and when we found out she was in foster care we looked everywhere for her. I said ``It wasn't even a question; it was clearly meant to be — she's my kid" I said. When I adopted her the first thing that came to mind was that “We are a family, and it’s beautiful,” I said but adopting comes with a lot of responsibilities because these kids have trauma.
It was hard at first because “To have a young person move in with you and to have to really consciously work through triggers and that kind of stuff is a really different thing than being pregnant and having your baby grow up in front of you” I said. I have a bond with Lola nobody will ever experience and it's not because I carried her for 9 months because I didn't. It's because we grew to love each other and started from the beginning. Now in 2021 I am “getting closer and closer” I said with each passing year. I look back and think it wasn't even a question adopting Lola because she was my kid.
I get to live with the easiest decision of my life. Knowing my little girl is home and with me for the rest of my life and adopting plus having a family with love and affection. So I wish all kids to have a simple, and easy yet unique story like mine in the adoption agencies. My adoption story with Lola is going to be different then everyone else and your child might not come as easily, but I kept my hopes and dreams alive so that they will come true. Therefore Lola and I are living our dreams as the Dawson’s and my father is still my family even without his DNA.