My Real Parents

Blood Stone

A young archaeologist, Skye, travels to Scotland after her grandmother's death to uncover a shocking truth: she was adopted and not the biol

Key takeaways

• Skye's grandmother reveals that her biological parents were not her adoptive parents, shattering her understanding of identity and family.

Main topics

• Identity and adoption
• Archaeology of Scottish Highlands

Notable quotes

"Unless you're there for those who need you, God might as well have given her gifts to someone else."

Conclusion

Skye's journey into her true origins begins in the aftermath of her grandmother's death, where cryptic words and ancient symbols point

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:07) The city Speaker 4 (0:08) moves fast, but your vibe, that's different. Sharper, smoother, more alive. Speaker 3 (0:19) The new Speaker 4 (0:23) Honda City isn't just made to drive, it's made to feel. The new Honda City, all new vibe. Speaker 8 (0:59) I thought I knew who my father was, but I was wrong. And I had no idea that one day, I'd have to travel halfway around the world to find him and try to kill him. You never forget what you were doing when you got bad news. I was sitting at my desk, counseling my two PhD students on their plans. Speaker 5 (1:21) This summer has to tie into my thesis. Whatever that's going to be about. Like a dig in Africa or Southeast Asia would be great. I'll take a dig anywhere. Me too, just stating a preference. Speaker 8 (1:31) A text came in from a family friend in Scotland. Michael was an attorney who'd handled my grandmother's affairs forever. Hang on. It's time. She may not be here much longer. Oh, God. Twelve hours later, I was speeding through a Scottish village in a taxi, praying I wasn't too late. Can't this thing go any faster? The cab drove through Kilmorrow, a village in the Scottish Highlands, four hours' drive north of Glasgow. Speaker 8 (2:06) I'd been doing this drive my whole life. My mother raised me very far from here in Montana. But this is where she grew up, and where my gran still lived. At least, that's what I hoped. The cab pulled up before a plain building. Kilmorrow Hospice. Keep the change. The nurse pointed out Gran's room as I burst inside. I saw Michael sitting watch over my grandmother. Thank God. She was still breathing, still conscious. Michael had told her I was coming, and she held on long enough to see me. Despite the physical distance between us, Gran and I had always been close. She resented my father for taking Mom to America, but they were both religious about taking me to visit Gran for Christmas every year. After my parents' car crash, I wanted to be closer to her. So I moved to Scotland and enrolled in the University of Edinburgh to study archaeology. But when I went for my doctorate back in the States, I was far away from her again. Sadly, it'd been like that ever since. But now I was sitting right next to her for her final moments. With a shaky hand, she pulled aside her oxygen mask. Speaker 7 (3:15) My Speaker 8 (3:16) beautiful sky, with eyes as Speaker 7 (3:20) blue as her name. Gran? It's time. Time? Time for what? To release my burden. I don't understand. Remember this. Unless you're there for those who need you, God might as well have given her gifts to someone else. Your mother and father. Yes. I miss them, Gran. I know you do too. They were not your parents. Speaker 8 (3:53) What Speaker 7 (3:53) are you Speaker 8 (3:54) talking about? Could it be? The people who raised me and loved me were not my mother and father. As the last grains of my grandmother's life slipped down the hourglass, I sat quiet. Until... Are you saying... I was adopted? She nodded. Then who are my real parents? Gran? Fidok. Speaker 8 (4:20) I sat there as a nurse recorded my grandmother's time of death, the last time I'd lost someone close to me. It was my parents, my 17th birthday. We were driving into town to go to dinner at my favorite restaurant. The drive to town included a descent down a windy, mountainous road. My father suddenly lost control after the brakes went out. I barely remember the rest, but when I came to, both my mother and father were dead. Speaker 8 (4:47) Ever since then, Gran was my life preserver. My head was swirling now not just with grief, but confusion. Now, in the closing moments of her life, she drops this bomb on me. If my mom and dad aren't my parents, then who am I? Has my whole life been just one big lie? It might sound extreme, but I always felt like something was off. I never could put my finger on it, until now. But that left me with the question. Who were my biological parents? That wasn't the only mystery my grandmother dropped into my lap. Speaker 7 (5:22) Bidik, what Speaker 8 (5:26) did that mean? Gran was the reason I specialized in archaeology of the Highlands of Scotland. It always seemed like she knew a lot more than she let on. And now she carried my origin story to the grave. I was starting to get the feeling my Nana wasn't just some little old lady from Kilmorrow. Speaker 8 (5:49) My grandmother's burial plot was a neatly cut hole in the ground of a lush, green hillside above the village. Half a dozen of its residents were there to pay their respects. Speaker 2 (6:00) Now I really feel like I'm in Scotland. Speaker 8 (6:02) My fiancé, Daniel, was an entrepreneur. But I was never clear on what he sold. He'd say, Speaker 2 (6:08) You academics have big brains, but not for business. And Speaker 8 (6:12) I'd tell him that managing an archaeological dig is a lot like running a small business. Speaker 2 (6:16) Let's not argue semantics. Speaker 8 (6:18) Daniel and I met at a ballroom dancing competition a year ago. A friend dragged him there. I danced a pretty mean Paso Doble that night. When the performance ended, he was waiting for me with a bouquet of roses. I'd never met the man before. Nine out of ten times, my guard would go up. But he had a way of getting past it. Speaker 8 (6:40) When I stood to leave, I noticed the cemetery had an amazing view of the surrounding countryside from Gran's plot at the top of the hill. There was a