Before beginning a search, or as you proceed through the process, it is a good idea to consider all the possible outcomes. Try to determine if you are prepared for whatever you might find. Easier said than done, I know!

Although you may prepare yourself extensively, it is inevitable that some results may still be quite difficult to accept emotionally. However, it is better at least to consider the outcomes.

The end of a search can run the gamut. Here are some possibilities.

You may find that:

1) The person you were searching for is no longer living;

2) The birth family member is not ready or able to risk contact;

3) The object of your search is a likable person that you would like to get to know. Moreover, they are enthusiastic, eager and ready to embrace you fully and welcome you into their life, wholeheartedly, with no reservations;

4) The person that you find is highly dysfunctional, unstable and/or a substance abuser or simply someone you may not want to get to know for any number of reasons;

5) You receive the medical or other information that you wanted to obtain; or

5) The original person you searched for is unwilling to have contact, but, other birth family members such as grandparents, aunts, cousins or siblings may embrace you and offer you the opportunity to connect with them.

I believe that many of us are well prepared for the worst case scenario, but, perhaps least prepared for the best possible ending to a search. While I do not believe in fairly-tale endings, I do know that successful relationships often develop after a search. Even when a search does not end in a reunion or a long-term relationship, at the very least, there is usually some resolution.

Do I believe that a search is worth the risk of rejection? I feel that it is, however, it is a very personal decision to make.