‘The Foundling’: My Inspiration

For over 25 years working in the change management field I’ve always been inspired by the stories and case studies of people with an inner power of self-resiliency and the ability to lead when others want to run away. As I began the journey to find my father-in-law’s biological family I found myself gravitating towards stories written by the genealogically bewildered. It’s hard enough to be anchored in you as you when you’ve known all the facts and details your whole life! Even more complicated to find that sense of inner calm and confidence when major details are missing, withheld or concealed.

I’m still most greatly inspired by the first story I read in this space, ‘The Foundling‘, by Paul Joseph Fronczak. My initial interest in the book was because I grew up knowing about this story that had been huge headline news a few years prior to my own birth, and based in the neighborhood in Chicago where my mother was from. But it’s the honesty of his story, and struggle and desire to both be fully himself and also support his biological family as well as the family who raised him that really stays with me. Truly an inspiring story reminding us all that each of us has the power to be uniquely you, and to chose which aspects of nature and nurture you want to reinforce, and those you want to redo.

Photo from http://www.foundlingpaul.com/blog