Mi Mama Chilena...

I am going to start the introduction of my mothers with Mi Mama Chilena...or "My Chilean Mother"....because she is indeed my first mother.

Mi mama Chilena was born in May of 1963. 20 years before I was born in 1983. Mi mama was the youngest of 4 children...3 of them, my mother included, are still alive.

My mom was raised by her mother...her and her siblings did not have a male figure or father figure in the household. They were rather poor and lived a difficult life, to say the least. Mi Abuelita (my dear grandmother) is no longer living but she is pictured below and will always be the heart of my Chilean roots and family.

Mi mama completed only grades K - 5 in the Santiago school system. I am not very educated about the school system in Chile but from what I have heard from my Chilean family, it is not very good.

She began working at "un club nocturno" (which is the equivalent of a strip club here in the US) at a very young age. She needed to work as she had given birth to her first daughter when she was 18 years old. She was often placed in unsafe situations but she did her job and sent money home to help with the expenses of her oldest daughter.


When I initially opened my adoption paperwork in 2005, I read the story of how mi mama was leaving work late one night when she was attacked by 3 drunk men that had been in the club that evening. She was repeatedly raped by all 3 men as they used her body for SICK enjoyment.


At 19 years of age, the traumatic experience left my mother with nothing but fear for life in general and an embryo sprouting in her womb. Chile is a VERY Catholic country and my mom refused abortion opting to birth me, her second baby :)


Abuelita was NOT supportive of another baby...as mi mama was already an unwed mother to my older sister Scarlett. Mi mama felt as though she was forced into relinquishing me. She did not want to let me out of her arms despite the circumstances under which I was conceived. I truely believe her when she tells me this.


She made what was TOLD would be the "best decision"...to relinquish her rape baby to the adoption system. Mi mama found a social worker to assist in getting me the best care.

Below is a picture of mi mama with Telma. Mi mama is on the right and Telma is sitting on the left. Telma is the social worker that assisted with both my brothers and my adoptions 28 and 25 years ago...respectively.









When I first started the search for mi mama, I had to contact Telma to help me contact her. She did not have a working telephone line and my friends did not feel comfortable knocking on her door. Telma sent me these first two pictures of mi mama via email when I first reunited with my family...Mi mama HATES these pictures because she was crying and claims she looks ugly. In my eyes, she is the most beautiful thing.

Meet MI MAMA!!!! Maria Eugenia Sarria Diaz....











And of course, I could not end this entry without mentioning my sister Scarlett. Although she refers to Abuelita as her mother, she grew in the womb of "nos mama" ( OUR mother )...and when I left Chile 25 years ago, not only did I lose mi mama, but mi hermana mayor (my big sister) as well. In less than two months, two sisters will rejoin hands after 25 LONG years. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Pictured below is my beautiful big sister sleeping peacefully....







And with that, I shall close out this entry. Wishing you all an evening as peaceful as my sisters slumber ;)