Years passed, and the baby abandoned beside a trash bin became a young man with a brilliant mind and a gentle heart. At sixteen, he won a statewide science fair, and at eighteen, he was invited to present his research at a national conference. I sat in the back of the auditorium, unsure I belonged among polished shoes and confident smiles. Then John stepped onto the stage and searched the crowd until his eyes found mine. He spoke about discovery, resilience, and gratitude, and then he said my name. He told the room that his mother found him when no one else did, that she gave him dignity when the world had discarded him. Applause filled the hall, but all I felt was the weight of eighteen years settling into something like peace. Continue reading…
