I got an email from my birth father today.

[Alucard Belmont Reborn]

I'm a 19 year old that was adopted at birth, and today I received an email from a man claiming to be my biological father. My adopted parents did some fact checking and it really is him. He's also been in and out of prison in California since I was born. My mother told me that he walked out on my biological mother when she got pregnant, and later tried to get custody of me before my dad convinced him to give me up. He says he wants to talk to me, but I get the feeling that he just wants money or something else from me. What should I say to him?  

[Areashine]

That's really hard.

I've never met my father and I always asked myself what I would do if he ever showed up. Like you, I would think that he would want money.

A part of me says that you should talk to him and see what he wants. You can blow him off later. Another part of me says that he gave up on you when you were younger, so why give him the time of day?

I suppose the question is, what do you want of him? Do you want to meet him? Are you curious? If you are even slightly curious, I would meet him. If you don't, you'll always wonder, and if you go, you can always take him out of your life again.

I hope you find peace with any decision you make.