"On 31st December, 1981, I drove past the house in which my birth mother lived prior to my birth. At that moment I determined that my resolution for 1982. I achieved this and met with Mary in February 1982.
A few weeks later, I read in a national newspaper a plea from another woman who'd been adopted and who was desperate for help to find her birth mother. I wrote to her, offering advice, support and words of caution. A few days later I found that my offer of assistance to one woman had been published and I faced hundreds of requests for help.
I thought there must be a self-help group which helps people in this situation so I contacted my own local social services to find out if there was anyone who could help. But there wasn't anyone and I came out of that office half and hour later saying that I'd start one!
To cut a long story short as a result NORCAP (National Organisation for Counselling Adoptees and Parents) was created and 16 years later has grown into a national charity which has assisted over 50,000 people in total. I can now truly say my new year resolution 17 years ago changed my life and that of my family beyond recognition.
I never made another new year's resolution - one resolution like that that is enough for anyone!
