SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

She has the right family. She was adopted by a couple who had wanted a child for many years. 

She grew up surrounded by love. She has been given a beautiful life. She had all their support. 

She recalls a story about how her peers sometimes picked on her at school because she was adopted. Her father repeatedly told her not to worry about the fact that she had two mothers and the others only one ...

She was first told she was adopted by her adoptive parents when she was eight years old. She only learned a few details about this that were known to them. She knew the surname of her biological family and a few other facts.

When she was 17, she had a medical check-up. At the time, the lady next to her was called into the surgery with her biological parents' surname. She panicked. Do something fast, she said to herself. So she briefly described to her companion the details that were known to her. He replied, somewhat surprised, "I suppose you are right and she may really be your sister." They exchanged telephone numbers. When the lady came out of the clinic, they left together without a word. 

Half an hour later, Sandra received a message inviting her to coffee. That's how she met her sister. That's when she found out that she had two other sisters, a half-brother and two half-sisters. 

Of course she wanted to meet them. Getting to know her sisters and brother helped her understand her roots. The heart recognised the heart. Similar eyes, similar smiles... Even though their life stories had separated them, after so much time they had found their way back together.

We are interconnected. Knowing our roots and our past, and learning about our ancestors, helps us understand and piece together missing pieces of ourselves that may have been unspoken or lost in childhood. 

"Even though we have lived apart for most of our lives and each of us has our own story to tell, we have remained connected and belonging to each other," says Sandra. They have forged a special bond that will always hold them together. 

Today, Sandra carries two families in her heart; one that raised her and one that gave her life. And it is in this that she has found her wholeness. 

Maja Grošelj, 30 May 2025