Memoir Author, Katherine Caire, Shares Her Heart-Tugging Story With Kidsave
Having grown up with knowledge of her adoption, Katherine Caire never imagined her journey would inspire her to write a memoir. But a chance encounter led her to discover a biological sister – and a deeper connection to her past. As she prepares to unveil her book, Accidental Sisters, in August, Katherine graciously agreed to share part of her life story with Kidsave.
Growing up, Katherine’s parents never shied away from letting her know details about her adoption. “My brother and I were adopted, a little less than four years apart,” says Katherine. “Our parents helped us understand what that meant.” Katherine and her brother aren’t blood-related, but they grew up together since his birth, and she feels he was just as much her brother as anyone else’s. Their family’s bond went beyond biology.
Katherine’s dad was her hero; he always gave great advice as she grew up. When Katherine experienced some bullying from a neighbor about being adopted, her father helped her appreciate her unique life story.
“Back then, all the kids played outside together,” says Katherine. “My friend, Fred, and I were playing a game when he insultingly called me an ‘orphan.’” More than a little upset, Katherine returned home. She went to her dad with tears in her eyes and asked him about what had happened. He taught her a valuable lesson she’d never forget. “He pulled out the dictionary and said, ‘let’s look up orphan.’ ‘An orphan is someone who has no parents, hardly seems like your problem, young lady…technically, you have four parents; your mom and me, plus two birth parents!” Katherine realized she had two parents who loved her wholeheartedly – how she became their daughter was of little importance. She was theirs.
Growing up, Katherine’s parents instilled confidence in her, and she was incredibly grateful for her dad’s progressive advice. “He was a father who always believed his daughter could do anything,” Katherine says, “growing up in the ’60s, it wasn’t always that way for women.” Katherine received her bachelor’s degree in finance, then made a bold career change to advertising. “Someone came along who thought I’d be good at it,” she says, “and I’ve always loved writing.”
As always, her parents were there to help. “I don’t think I would have had the guts to make some of the changes that I made in my life if I didn’t have that support,” she says. So, Katherine made a bold career switch; from finance to advertising, where she was allowed to be much more creative.
Katherine would marry and soon have her own children. She had a career that she enjoyed and was building the life she’d always wanted. But one day, her request for more medical history from her adoption files changed the trajectory of her life. She contacted the adoption agency where she came from and asked for her social/medical history so her daughters wouldn’t be missing half of their medical background. She could never have imagined that finding those records would lead her to a biological sister. “The social worker forgot to redact my birth mother’s maiden name,” says Katherine, “and that’s how the ball started rolling.”
Katherine always believed she had no desire to learn about her birth family. “You may think you know how you feel about something, but when you get the opportunity, the reality can be very different.” Katherine knew she couldn’t leave this mystery unsolved. She went to find her sister.
“We decided to meet for the first time at a friend’s condo in Florida,” Katherine says, “and, despite not growing up together, we noticed we had similar behaviors; little idiosyncrasies that tended to be unusual.”
Unfortunately, this time of discovery and reunification was also tinged with sorrow. “My adoptive dad died the year I met my sister,” says Katherine, “so I told my mom in the spring after she’d had time to process losing my dad.” Katherine waited until she and her mom visited her dad’s grave. “It was a bittersweet moment,” Katherine says, “in a way, I was sharing the news with both of them.”
These days, Katherine, her sister, and their children continue to meet – and their relationship is thriving. “In some ways, it’s nice that we met later in life,” Katherine says, “it turns out we were pregnant at the same time with our first children, and we all love the outdoors,” she says, “we have a lot of adventures together.”
You can read more of Katherine’s story in her book Accidental Sisters: My 52-Year Wait to Meet My Biological Sibling, at www.klcairebooks.com. The memoir releases on 8/26/22, the ten-year anniversary of Katherine and her sister Marcia’s first meeting. Available on Amazon and at independent bookstores.
