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Upsets often mark search (Continued from ptige 1) During that Christmas week in Minnesota, Mike discovered that his birth mother held a position as a ital but was uiovuvcicu inai nis Dinn motner neia a position i receotaomst in a nearby hospital. "I went to the hospital couldn t bring myself to go through the door. Suddenly I scared," he says. According to Mike, he never intended to hurt anyone connected with his birth or adoptive family. "But I really wanted to get in contact with my birth mother. I wanted her to know I was okay. That my life had been good, everything was alright and especially tell her 'thanks for my life'," he explained. Mike was raised an Episcopalian and found that his birth mother was of the same faith. "So I went to see her local priest in Minnesota and relied on him for advice," he said. The priest suggested that Mike write to his birth mother, telling her how ne had worked to find her and how much he "The priest told me that he would deliver the letter to my birth mother at an appropriate time. In the meantime, I the weekend. I knew everything had gone right with the letter to my mother because the priest said he was calling me to thank me for 'the nicest day" in his ministry," Mike recalled. He called the priest after the weekend and was told that the minister had called his mother asking her if he could stop at her home for a visit. The priest told Mike that his mother had replied that she was about to go shopping and would be home later. The est said that was liver a letter to her. confided in my adoptive mother and she was great in ac­ cepting the results of my search. I would have gone no further if she had not wanted me to," says Mike. In fact, Mike's adoptive mother, once she knew how much he had discovered, gave him some more valuable in­ formation about his adoption that led him to finding his birth father. , , "Going back to that letter," savs Mike, "It took me about would sit down and write pa$es . I wanted to emphasize three months to write it. I and pages and then tear them and pages and then tear them up. I wanted to emphasize that I wanted nothing from her, but just wanted to let her know I was okay and thanks for my life," he repeated. -written 8-page okay and explained he wanted to According to the priest, Mike's mother said "please bring it now, come right over...it's from my son isn't it?" The priest told Mike that his mother gave a Thanksgiving jHayer. "She is so thrilled. Call her soon," the priest said to Mike called her the next day "and we talked on the phone for one and one-half hours and made arrangements to meet. "I talked to her on the phone several times and then went to her home in Minnesota and visited alone with her for a while and later was introduced to my five half brothers and a half sister. We hit it off fine. "We had a wonderful reunion," he said. Mike said that his mother was so excited about hearing from her long lost son, that she called his birth father in Chicago to let him knOW. "I was going to write to my birth father, but three days later he called me," says Mike. The father and son met for lunch "and then we went for a long walk in the forest preserve. We felt very comfortable adopted children in his family, was hosting a rehearsal wedaing dinner for his younger sister in his home when the priest called him during the party. "It was noisy and I was really busy. I had mailed the letter to the priest about 10 days earlier and was not ex­ pecting to hear from him that night. "I explained the situation and said I'd call him back after together. Mike has since been to his birth father's home and met his wife, who had been told about Mike by his birtn father before they married. In this instance, the search for birth parents was suc­ cessful. But in many cases, such discoveries reportedly often bring heartbreak to all concerned parties. 4 "I am a strong believer in open adoption," says Mike, adding, "but I also believe records that are closed should perhaps not be opened." Encyclopedias to be given to the needy World Book, Inc., launched a holiday project which will distribute as many as 6,000 sets of The World Book En­ cyclopedias to needy families and organizations across the United States and Canada. The firm will donate the en­ cyclopedias during November and December to needy families and organizations - such as youth shelters and schools. Those wishing to nominate a family or group in their com­ munity for the program may contact their local World Book representative listed in the Yellow Pages. 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