There are many things that can subject one to confusion in this life. In some instances, it is better not to have knowledge of the issues. But then, if and when you get the revelation of the hidden truth, you begin to wish that you knew earlier. Is this not a complex situation? This is exactly the case with the revelation that one's known parents are not his or her biological parents.
If I found myself in such a situation, many factors would determine what my reaction would be.
The first factor that I would put into consideration is the kind of relationship I had with my adopters. If they have been kind to me in such a way that I had no reason to doubt that they weren't my parents over the years, it would make it easier for me to patiently process the information and decide on the next action. If they were hostile kinds of people that possibly had shown discriminatory actions that made me doubt their parenthood, I would find it very easy to embark on searching for my parents straightaway.
If they have been kind and loving to me, the next thing is to consider how I got to know about the information. If they were the ones that chose to tell me, discussion would emanate from there with questions starting from how I was adopted. If I got hold of the document by accident, it would make me feel betrayed greatly. In either case, I would sit down with my known parents so that I could hear their side of my adoption story. For the fact that they have been loving parents that nurtured me from childhood, it would soften my heart in listening to their story.
If I got to know by accident, I would be convinced that they kept it away from me for the fear of how I would feel if they had told me. On the other hand, if I was informed by my adopters, I would take it that they considered the time as the best for such a revelation.
After listening to their story, I would decide if it was necessary to look for my biological parents. Imagine if my biological parents had died before the adoption took place; I would have no reason to look for anyone. I will just move on with my life and declare more endearing loyalty to my lovely adopters as my parents.
If it was practically possible to get in touch with my parents, I would look for them to listen to their own side of the story. If the reason for leaving me out for adoption was to my best interest as a child, I would embrace my biological parents when I locate them. I have read stories of how some parents, having realized that they can't properly care for a child, released the child out for adoption by other people that can take better care of the child. In my own opinion, such an action, though painful to the biological parents, is in the best interest of the child. If this was my case, I would embrace my biological parents with love.
Irrespective of the reason behind my adoption, I would look out for my biological parents so that I can hear their side of the story. It is from this point that I would determine if it is deserving of me to embrace my biological parents or walk away. Whether I am embracing my biological parents or walking away, I won't allow any crack to be created in my relationship with my adopters. They have been kind to me as my parents, and the best I can do to pay them back is to continue to be a loyal child. I would make sure that I uphold this conviction so that they won't regret their love and care for me since my childhood.
Like I said from the beginning, this revelation is one that I wouldn't pray to get the knowledge of, and at the same time, if I ever got to know, I would ask questions about why it was kept away from me for so long. This makes it emotional and complex.
One thing is important: I can't pay the person that nurtured me till maturity with ingratitude. Their love would remain evergreen in my heart.