Bitter Winds

[TwiceShyBabe]

Thankyou from the bottom of my heart. Pure words and so very true.

Bless you xxx

[marea1946]

Lina so glad I came to your site to view this video. Very touching. Take care Marea McEwen xx

[IheartNovember]

Beautiful. So many mothers coerced into surrendering their babies. It breaks my heart. I am adopted; this coersion of women was still going on when I was born in 1985.  It still happens today :-(

[gypsywitchify]

My mother ODed 9 months after they took me- a victim of the adoption system in Perth Western Australia, 1958.. :'(

[ErinnE3]

I was given up too...my mother coerced, broken down, abandoned by my father, her own family, and by the rest of society. She was taken to Catholic Charites Hospital for unwed mother so that the Catholics could screw with some more lives...

[russellprr]

My birth mother could have written this song. This is exactly what she went through. I have been reunited with both sides of my birth family and the best part has been getting to know my mother and finally having that connection with someone I have so much in common with and can identify with. I am finally found and no longer feel like a lost soul all alone. Even though there was a lot of abuse in my adopted family, I had some really wonderful, loving people and was given a gift . No regrets

[InkChickPinUp]

Great video Beautiful Song! Amazing~! <3 Rachel 12/8/1983

[LizzyBrew]

I related to this so much, as one who lost a child in NSW in 1975 out of St Anthony;s Home for Unmarried Mothers after giving birth at St Margaret's Hospital for Women - described a major source of babies for adoption. Thank you, it was healing for me.

[Autumnbreeze3000]

Beautiful & heartbreaking. Thank you. 

[PALady19]

Lina~~ Oh God! How similar our stories, and I was in America. Me and thousands upon thousands of girls in the "Baby Scoop Era". Thank you for adding to our voices -- for acknowledgement for our loss and for justice and equity for our children.

Priscilla Lost my daughter to adoption in Arizona 1964

[BAZHE]

powerful, painful, beautiful, favored

[BAZHE]

powerful - educational - beautiful - painful - favored - thank you - you help me to understand the other side - from an adopted child

[ryantwartman]

Beautiful song, art direction, and performance! Very moving ...

[sugarosugar]

I think this is a right on true depiction of the pain the young Mom's went through in those days, in the US as well as Australia.

In my case it was 1969, and I have been blest with a happy reunion with my son and his family.

[skyedancer3]

So sorry for your loss. My Japanese mother was forced to give me up when i was a year old. My father was a married American serviceman and i was adopted by US military family. i finally found her after 26 years but i cannot get past her feelings of guilt to re-establish a relationship. It's getting better after another 24 years. A special place in hell for lying seducers and judgmental societies/families who contribute to such sadness.

[enchantedwood]

Society's lack understanding about adoption issues often leads to the mother and the adopted person being made to feel guilty for wanting to know about their family story. Something most people take for granted.

In a more humane society, pregnant women would be given support and the needs for family connenction for adoptees would be honored. We have a long way to go before the rights of women and children the world over becomes a reality.

[Pharping]

Very fine song and memorial film.

Rosalind Maya Lama

[sszzccff]

Very sad and well done.

Suzanne

[tajettenamoi]

this is a beautiful video lina, very emotive. Taj

[bmom56]

i'm in tears after watching this - the song is perfect..how many birthmothers hearts have been broken like ours..as my signature says - birthmothers never forget..thank you for this video.

[philgunner]

sry to hear about your loss pallekaastrup and happy to hear about your gain sounds like you got it really nice

i lost my mother and father when i was 3 in a car accident and was brought up by a family in the countryside and have recently been told all of this and dont really know what to do about it all and how to find out about my other family i dont really want to go through my foster parents as i think it might hurt ther feeling

[pallekaastrup]

Lina, this is a beautiful song. I am one of these children - except, I'm on the other side of the planet, in Denmark.

I found my birth mother a few months ago. Sadly I found that she had passed away in April this year, only 51 years old (I'm 36). I found out that she had been thinking about me every day since I was born. I hope one day that you'll find your daughter or that she'll find you.

[enchantedwood]

So sorry to hear you didn't have a chance to meet your mother. Yes, she thought of you every day. Mothers don't forget. I hope maybe you will meet other family members. I had a reunion with my daughter when she was 26, but not long after, then she pulled back and didn't want contact for more than a decade. For the last few years we've had tentative contact once more. Adoption has really damaged our relationship.

[pallekaastrup]

I now have a little sister age 24 and a little brother age 22 and we all meet as often as we can. We're only two and a half hours apart by car. I have a new nephew who is only 6 months old and I meet the rest of the family at my nephew's christening. My mothers brother and sister and their children etc. I have gained a wonderful family and they are all thrilled that I found them. My brother and sister didn't know about me.

[pallekaastrup]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I truly love my new sister and brother and I will never let go.

[enchantedwood]

Very moved to hear you have located other family members who have welcomed you! I hope your story will encourage other adoptees who may be putting off reunion not to put it off any longer.

[etayesterday]

oh so true. mother of loss 1984.

[alephrias]

This is so beautiful. It makes me cry. I was one of those babies.

[RGValleyGal]

... and I was one of those mothers who lost a baby to adoption on 12/29/64. Even thru reunion with my daughter, nothing will ever replace the years lost between us. My tears will forever run forth.

[yasminlang]

the whole picture comes together,this short film leaves the essense...the package of guilt that was dumped by the chatholic church needs to be exposed to our conciousness so that we no longer live in the shadow of shame & guilt..your creative gift is reaching many ..so to be healed with love Yasmin

[plgadberry]

Lina, this is wonderful! I lost a son to the adoption industry of the Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas, in July 1970. I had some email contact, but he no longer emails me back. My bitter winds may never stop blowing! Thank you for this wonderful song and video! I love your "Bad Girl" album (CD)! Your music is so good, beautiful and heartfelt! Thank you!

[sacredcowmusic]

Excellent ! Thanks, Lina, for sending this to me. As a 22 year worker in the NYC child welfare system, let me say to you that this song rings so true for many of my clients- foster children who don't know who their birth parents are. Thank you for being a voice !

[tovahanz]

A song of truth sung in any country that closed adoption records and treated birth mothers like second class citizens. Slowly laws are changing and the secrets and lies are finally being exposed. No birth mother should ever have been made to feel that way and no adoptee should ever have fight laws to have their own birth certificate available to them and to know their origins.

Thank You for Your Video

[Everafter03]

As always your music speaks volumes. I'm pleased to see your editorial and production skills are improving, too. Your gifts are rare sister mine and your heart is more full for the giving.... Keep up the good work... blessings, Lori

[lorrispickelmire]

Lina, Thank You for sending me this Link. It is hauntingly beautiful, and you have found our hearts and touched them with music.

Lorri

[galemunden]

Lina,

Thank your for the beautiful video it is exactly what happened to us mothers here in United States too. WE were unmarried and young and without help!!!

lost my son in 66.

Someone else's happiness was my greatest sorrow. credit for this J. Gartland.

[bern5333]

Wow, this made me cry. It's so similar to my experience losing my child to adoption in the U.S. in 1990.

[Mtnlite]

I am just knocked out by the edit where the woman on the cross 'crossfades' into a moving tree... that is beautiful filmmaking!!!

[Astrogumball]

I really love the use of color in your film. It highlights the emotion.

[jachima]

Dear (((Lina)))

have been waiting to see your video till a quiet moment.

It touches me deeply... !

I hope you agree with it that I posted your video on Adoption Trefpunt ( a dutch site for adoptees, BirthMoms , adoptiv moms and dads)?

Big((hug)))

heartbeat to heartbeat,

wishing that you may heal and heal and heal ,

aswell as your daughter!

Tilly

[SuzieKidnap]

Nice, Lina. I've added this to my favorites! Best, Suzie Kidnap

[AmRisArt]

I am so sorry for your loss. I am so glad for your country that these practices have been curtailed. I wish America would wake up. In 1992, I received the same treatment you did, and I too live with an endless sorrow. I made a video also, "How I Lost Austin."

I am a world away from you, yet I stand beside you. This horrible treatment of women and babies must cease.

Keep Families Intact

[adoptee3420]

Thank you for creating this and sharing your experience. The truth needs to be heard. I still ache for the little baby I once was who didn't have her mothers arms around her.

[geri12561]

This song is from the heart and so beautiful, the feelings that you convayed in this song and film clip were so poignant, as an adoptee it gives me an insight as to what my bmum must have gone through,I can only hope that she can now find peace and know that we understand what she must have gone through and maybe one day she and I will one day meet.

[madoldwoman]

Someone told me how badly nuns treated her mother.

When her mother's waters broke in the maternity home, the nuns forced her to clean it up!!!

She almost lost her baby because of that.

Those nuns in those maternity homes were monsters.

[madoldwoman]

Mothers were treated very badly in Canada too.

Thanks for this.

[TheresaTheUngrateful]

Thank you for posting this. This is so beautiful and sad.

[chezblot]

Just beautiful.

The saddest part - this still happens to this day.

For me - as an adoptee - my mother and father married just 6 months after my birth - and went on to have 3 more children.

I always wanted to know where my mother was - and I've finally found her.

Thank you for putting this video together - and for telling your truth.

The truth that so many don't want to believe - but truth that so NEEDS to be told.

[Sunshynsky]

As an adoptee, this truely touched my soul...I know my mother must have felt this way.... thanks for this window into what a mother's truths may be...

Sunshyn

[enchantedwood]

Thank you. My intention was always to help promote more understanding of the cruel practices that separated mother and child in the days when no helping hand was extended towards unmarried mothers. Many of us were treated with hate and scorn and ostracized by family and society. We were bullied and coerced into thinking it was selfish to want to keep our babies. The result of these misogynous practices was families torn apart and a lifetime of loss.

[lilyfair1950]

great song and so true to the human rights abuses of the adoption system

[mirandaburne]

Very touching!

[totos1dot]

Awesome video - hopefully young girls/women will see this before making such the hurtful decision I did in 1959 in U.S.A.! Adoption: one woman's joy is another woman's pain and sorrow.

[unlockingheart]

Very strong portrayal of the way things were in the 1960s when I too had no choice but to relinquish my daughter for adoption in the United States. Thank you for telling our story.

[kooranastrike]

Just awesome - fabulous video and song

[dragonsspace]

The video clearly expresses the views of so many mothers who lost their children to adoption. Their pain goes on through their whole lives.

[larstead]

Heartfelt!

[Starrjo]

This is one of the most important short movies addressing a heartfelt societal issue that is seldom recognized. May it bring understanding and love between the mother and child. The music and film work in great harmony. Living Love - Starr*

[barbindawoods]

Bitter Winds is my story as well...only I was in the U.S.A. in 1958. NO help, NO aid, Nothing but "sign here, you aren't capable of rearing your child". It was a huge money-making business, adoption. Just Huge. It is the most unnatural thing there is, to separate mother and child. Times are somewhat better now, thankfully.