I was at a business forum meeting today with a room full of strangers. At the table, we did an exercise of choosing questions from the bowl and then we had to answer them out loud to all the other attendees. I must admit, the first question I received was very easy. I should have known more was coming.

The second question was “What was the most fulfilling and best decision I have ever made?” I absorbed this question for a moment and asked myself; should I answer it professionally in this professional setting, or do I give myself license to open up the floodgates of my ever so honest and bold mouth?

I chose to answer this: “My most fulfilling decision I ever made was deciding to go public; open book; naked; honest to the public and to everyone about my story and my feelings.” I explained my story while the ladies at the table picked up their jaws. It’s not like I sensationalize it or want for this reaction, but people are generally taken back from my story and my honesty.

This decision is something I have very little regret for. Yes, it has unfortunately opened the floodgate for criticism and ignorant comments, and yes, this may have drastically reduced the changes of my biological parents coming forward; but...I will never regret this lesson I taught myself; the confidence that I instilled in myself on this public journey and teaching the world it is ok to be honest and tell people that you were adopted; abandoned; neglected; institutionalized; suffered as a child and young adult; and that deep down inside as much as we are ingrained to believe our adoptions were blessings, there is always a small part of us that simply says; it sucks. And by the way, that is ok too.