February 17, 2016
Adoption News Roundup
Happy Wednesday, lovers!
We hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day, however you celebrated it. What a special weekend to share love with your kids, your family, your friends, your SELF. It’s not just about romance, it’s about showing those in your life how much you care about them.
With the holiday on Monday, we’ve had time to catch up on reading and what our community has to say. Here are some of the articles we really enjoyed.
This birth mother’s wish led to a lifetime of music for the child she placed for adoption. “‘Please, give this child music lessons. These instructions were written on a note and given to Sandra Snow’s adoptive parents from her birth mother. Because of the note, Snow’s parents made sure to place her in music and singing lessons growing up. ‘When Sandra was born, I knew there was just something musical about her,’ Sharon Brammer, Snow’s birth mother, said. ‘To find out what she has accomplished has been just a miracle. Every word I use sounds corny. It almost takes my breath away, to know that she has become what she has from such a different beginning.’”
Ten things this mother has learned from her child with Down Syndrome. “Penny makes friends wherever she goes. Her thoughts are focused on the needs of others most of the time. Despite some people who see children with disabilities as drains on social and economic resources, I am only more convinced of how crucial people like Penny are to creating a diverse, compassionate, and emotionally mature society.”
Adoptive families are very real families, thank you very much. “There are countless times I’ve been asked the “real” question. It comes in many forms. I understand the person is substituting the word “real” for “biological,” and as an adult, I know what you mean. But please think about the innocent, beautiful little humans standing beside me. The word “real” is confusing, intrusive, and hurtful.”
Please stop telling infertile couples to adopt. “People seem to be so convinced that adoption is the perfect solution to infertility, but the truth is, one does not eradicate the other. There is no “baby store” to wander into in the pursuit of your happy, healthy, perfect infant; and there is no magic eraser to wipe away the pain of not being able to carry that baby yourself. Even now, as I raise my beautiful daughter, I can honestly say that I absolutely love the life we share — but I still often wish that I had carried her myself. Adoption does not erase the scars of infertility, and infertility is not a reason alone to adopt.”
A super sweet story written by a mother and her autistic son. “I was at a loss for words yet again recently, when my child approached me with a particularly difficult question. I was awestruck at how much he’d taken in from his surroundings and others — perhaps it came with his therapy or maybe I just didn’t understand how intuitive he really is.”
What have you enjoyed reading recently?