Letter to the Great Unknown

After the shock of a credible response from my shot-in-the-dark classified ad, I spent the weekend crafting a letter to the man that could be my alleged birth father. What were the odds that this Cuban golf pro Lothario had been right near Bard all along? If he wasn't "the guy", would he cooperate and name names?

Below is the letter that I Fedex'd off on Monday morning with huge, flapping, crazed butterflies in my stomach:

Dear Mr. XXXXXXX,

This has been a very hard letter for me to write; there seems no easy or uncomplicated way to ask you the question that this letter poses. I have been searching for my biological origins for more than 15 years; last week, your name was suggested to me as someone who might be able to help me in my search—either because you may be related to me or you may know someone who is.

Perhaps the best way to begin my letter is to first establish my identity. According to my birth certificate, I was born in Utica, NY in Oneida County on May 3, 1970 and was relinquished for adoption following my birth. Catholic Charities of Oneida and Madison Counties facilitated my adoption. While I believe I was born in Utica, there is a high degree of likelihood that my birthparents were not from that city or that I was born in the Capital region and then transferred to Utica after my birth.

My adopted name is Lisa Joy Sanger; I grew up outside Utica, NY in a very small town with a loving family. I graduated from Bard College in 1992 and moved to Houston, TX shortly thereafter where I still reside with my husband, a NASA software engineer, and our three dogs. I direct a six institution scientific collaborative based at Rice University that aims to bring biomedical researchers from various disciplines together for unique training and research opportunities. When not working, I’m an avid reader who loves to travel. I have attached a photo from my wedding in 2002 for your reference.

My research into my biological origins has led me to you. The only information that I received regarding my biological father was that he was working as a golf professional at the time of my birth and that he had come from Cuba in the mid 1950s. As there are/were very few Latino golf pros in New York, your name was suggested to me as a possible contact. Does this person sound familiar to you?

Please be assured that I do not desire anything from you other than the opportunity to correspond with you now or to possibly meet you some day in the future if that is agreeable with you. It is not my desire to invade your life in any way. I will respect your privacy and will honor your decision. I look forward to speaking with you very soon; please be assured that I will welcome your call no matter what the outcome may be.

Sincerely,

Inside the envelope I enclosed several pictures of me at different times in my life with the hope that my smiling face would prompt a response even if the letter itself did not.

Once handed to my friendly Fedex man, there was nothing more for me to do but try to wait patiently for a response. Patience may be a virtue, but it is not one of MY virtues.