To my faithful readers, Thanks for listening these past several years as I have processed my adoptive parenting experiences. Our family appreciates your support. In a few short weeks I will begin my law studies. The transition is a big one for everyone in our family. We anticipate it being a demanding season, and as …
Does it ever feel like the rain won’t end, even when nothing is wrong? I’ve felt that way frequently since entering adulthood, specifically, motherhood. I didn’t spend much time mothering before we were knee-deep in the trauma-infused world of foster care. I recently read one of Jason Johnson’s blog posts that was passing through our …
In the world of adoption, we have a special holiday frequently referred to as ‘Gotcha Day.’ Gotcha Day is the anniversary of the day you became a forever family to the adoptee. Some families celebrate Gotcha Day on the day the adoptee first moved into the household. Others celebrate on the day the adoption was …
Time is money. This is a common sentiment here in the Northeast, and across the business world generally. I’ve grown up with the motto and appreciate the focus on efficiency. After Austin and I got married and started a family, I began to develop a preference for a slight variation on this saying: Money is …
“Where do babies come from?” It’s that age-old question we parents often dread. Our family has been fielding variations on this inquiry for years now. We finally had the official ‘sex talk’ with all six kids whilst sitting around the kitchen table recently. Any child who watches a mother or family friend’s belly expand throughout …
There seems to be a general consensus here in the United States, and I suspect, most anywhere, that those of us who are parents want our children to have the opportunities we had, and then some. I came to ponder this again after a breakfast outing with a friend. We were discussing – not for …
Hmmm, is this a yard sale? I slowed the van a bit and squinted at a fence near the road ahead. Balloons of all colors and shapes were hanging there, bobbing back and forth with the movement of the breeze. What is even going on here? We were meandering along a back road near our …
A few years ago I read The Family Nobody Wanted by Helen Doss, and was quickly caught up in her adoption story. Even though she and her husband lived in a very different era as far as social norms of the day and trauma research (which was basically nonexistent), much of what she described from …
The shadows of tall North Carolina pines flickered quickly past on my right. The morning was cold and crisp as we sped up I-95 northbound. A scene played in front of me in my mind’s eye. I saw our five year old dashing out into the Gulf of Mexico before I hardly had a chance …
I bounced my foot nervously, quickly glancing at the woman behind the desk, trying to gather anything I could from scanning her. Everything is fine. You are fine. You want to be here, remember? It has taken a long time to get here. If it doesn’t work out, you can simply leave. This is your …