Who am I? Identity questions abound when you ponder the mysterious circumstances surrounding your own origin. Thankfully, union with Christ trumps everything that was somehow misaligned during those early days. In response to the question, “Who am I?” I suppose I could say I’m…

• a human being made in the image of God, born in Philadelphia, PA;

• an adopted son of Carl and Cherie Valentino, formerly of Reading, PA;

• a follower of Christ, Son of the living God;

• a son, brother, husband, father, and papa;

• an uncle, friend, colleague, and teammate;

• a pastor, mentor, and seminary prof;

• a camp and conference speaker;

• a voracious reader and occasional movie watcher;

• a writer and researcher;

• a perpetual student—and an insatiably curious one at that;

• a swimmer, water polo player, and softball player;

• a coffee, chocolate, and Italian food lover;

• a Phillies fan.

But there’s always more to the story, isn’t there?

I’m still not sure if my birthday is March 30, March 31, or April 1, but I’m trying to find out.

I’m also trying to fill in the gaps of my early story without invading anyone’s space or privacy. That’s easier said than done, but I keep learning bits and pieces of the account as the years go by.

No names will be used in this post, but below are some photos that cause me to ponder where I came from.

Here’s a picture of my bio-mom when she was a little girl:

I think she was adorable, don’t you? Here’s a picture of me when I was two-ish. Do you see any resemblance?

Here’s my bio-mom in what I think would be her early 20s:

With the help of AI, here’s an interpolation of what she may have looked like around the time she gave birth to me:

And here’s a colorized version using a separate AI service, which yielded similar results:

Here’s an AI-generated picture of her at roughly the age I am now:

And here’s a recent picture of me for reference:

It’s conceivable (pun intended) that we’re related, isn’t it? In fact, I have it on good authority (and genetics) that she’s the one who brought me into the world. My understanding is that she’s still alive in another part of the country.

I’ve also been able to track down—with a fair degree of certainty—the identity of my bio-dad. Apparently, he passed away in 2013.

Here’s the only photo I’ve been able to find of him, and I’m not completely sure it’s him:

What do you think? I suppose it’s possible, but I don’t know. Military records confirm the name I have, but the picture is not yet verified. So, the research continues.

Happily, I may get to meet a blood relative next year–a cousin who was gracious enough to reach out to me last year and confirm the connection. I have to confess, the possibility of meeting her in person has me a bit choked up, and I’m not entirely sure why.

So, for now, I’m just treasuring all these things and pondering them in my heart.