Introduction

My name is Wilson Munsterman, and for most of my life, adoption was something I carried questions about. I was adopted from China as an infant after being found on a doorstep with no note, no known family history, and very few answers. Like many adoptees, I grew up wondering about the parts of my story that I couldn't see. Who were my biological parents? Why was I placed for adoption? What circumstances led to that moment? These were questions I couldn't answer, no matter how much I thought about them. For a long time, I focused on what I didn't know. But as I got older, something began to shift. By the time I reached my late teens and early twenties, I realized that while I might never receive every answer I wanted, but I couldn't ignore everything I had received because of my adoption. The opportunities, relationships, experiences, and support that shaped my life were real. The questions were real too.

I came to understand that two things can be true at once.

I can have questions about my past while still being grateful for my present. I can acknowledge loss while also recognizing opportunity. I can appreciate the life adoption gave me without pretending it comes without challenges. Once I embraced that mindset, I stopped focusing solely on what I had lost and started focusing on what I could do with the story I already had. That desire eventually led me to speak publicly about adoption. At seventeen years old, I testified before the Nebraska Legislature in support of Resolution LR229, sharing part of my story and advocating for adoptees. It was one of the first times I realized that my experiences could potentially help someone else. That experience planted a seed.

At nineteen, I decided to self-publish a book called Marked by Adoption. What began as an effort to help the next kid who might be wrestling with similar questions quickly became something much bigger than I ever expected. The book became an Amazon #1 New Release, reached readers around the world, found its way into educational and public libraries, received legislative recognition, and was eventually accepted into the Library of Congress. None of those accomplishments were part of the original plan. The goal was never recognition. The goal was simply to contribute something meaningful to a conversation that has shaped my life. Today, my mission is simple: to help adoptees make the best of their situation. Not by ignoring difficult emotions or pretending adoption is easy, but by encouraging conversations that create understanding, perspective, and hope. While every adoption story is different, I believe it is possible to acknowledge the challenges of adoption while still choosing to move forward and build a meaningful life.

This blog is a continuation of that journey. It is a place to share stories, lessons, questions, and conversations surrounding adoption, identity, purpose, and growth. Not because I have everything figured out, but because I believe there is value in continuing the conversation. After all, some of the most meaningful things in life don't begin when we finally get all the answers. Sometimes they begin when we decide to move forward despite not having them.