My mother gave up all parental rights to my father and abandoned us 8 months after I was born. He claimed she never asked about me. I haven’t met or spoken with her.

I work at a large legal firm and noticed her name scheduled for an appointment a year ago. I was surprised when she walked in and informed me her name without greeting or making eye contact before heading to the reception area. I was courteous to her and offered if she needed coffee or tea, but she refused. She was a tiny and frail woman; based on childhood images, I had envisioned her to be taller and stronger.

After she departed, I went to the lawyer’s office and reviewed her file. She was divorcing her third husband and wanted a good lawyer to obtain a large portion of his money, which was in the millions. I was also astonished to learn she has two young girls with him. Seeing her devastated me even more, especially because she didn’t remember me.

It simply verified what my father had told me: she had moved on and forgotten about me.