Happy Mother's Day!

Hi everyone, it’s Paul.

Happy Mother’s Day! I’d like to thank all the moms out there who have supported me throughout my journey—you have shown me a level of compassion and concern and affirmation that only a mother can show, and I send you my very best wishes today.

I’d also like to thank my mother, Dora Fronzcak, who I dearly love. I couldn’t travel to Chicago to see her today because of the virus, but when I spoke with her I told her how grateful I was to her for loving me and raising me with strong values, devotion and decency that have stayed with me all my life. Many years ago, she suffered perhaps the worst evil a mother can suffer—the abduction and loss of her newborn son—yet she never lost her faith or sense of family. Then, when we finally found her stolen biological son—who I still cannot talk about in detail as of yet—my mother was forced to re-confront all the intense emotions and complex decisions that she has spent decades coming to terms with. I am sure I’ve never met anyone stronger and more resilient than my mother, Dora, and on this day I’m grateful for the blessing of being raised by her. Mom, I love you.

Today, I also thought of my biological mother, Marie, who passed away years before I ever knew she was my mother. Since learning her identity, I’ve spent years trying to understand the circumstances that led her to do the unthinkable—abandon me on a New Jersey sidewalk when I was two years old. I’ve have discovered many things about her life—setbacks, hardships, weaknesses, strengths—and I’ve been able to overcome the anger that I felt for her, and replace it with compassion. She did not have an easy life, and I am sure she fought hard to make things work, but sometimes fate and misfortune have other plans for us. On this Mother’s Day, I wish I’d had the chance to meet her, and know her, and understand her, and let her know that I forgive her. Not having that chance shows me how important it is on a day like today to let your mother know just what she means to you.

I also want to send my best wishes to my daughter Emma’s mother, Michelle, who is a wonderful mom and who gave me the greatest blessing of my life.

Finally, I want to acknowledge everyone out there who is still searching for their mothers or other loved ones, and have no answers yet—I understand what you’re going through and I know how hard it can be to keep up the fight and stay hopeful. You’re in my thoughts today.

Once again, I wish every mom out there the happiest Mother’s Day, and I commend you for being the giving, generous heroes you are.

Paul