April 07, 2015

Adoption News Roundup

A beautiful post from an adoptee sharing “what an adoptee wants you to know about adoption.” “9. “Real is not defined by biology. My Mom IS my REAL mom. She dealt with tears over math homework and finding prom dresses, and came running when I fell off my bike and picked the gravel out of my knees. She listened as I poured out my heart over the stupidity of teen boys and loved me beyond my biology. Mommies through adoption ARE real moms. Daddies through adoption ARE real daddies. Real in every way. REAL is not defined by DNA, it is defined by L-O-V-E.”

This article is so important, and one whose sentiments we don’t see enough. What happens if you’re triggered by a particular adoption community? How do you deal with that?
Adoptive mamas get the baby blues, too.
A wonderful article about how to diffuse judgment and protect yourself. So valuable. It also discusses how to weed judgment out of our lives, and instead seek out individuals who lead with caring and compassion.
“Gotcha Day” is widely embraced terminology for the day a child’s adoption is finalized, but this mama isn’t having it. Have you ever considered it to be offensive? “‘Gotcha’ is my typical response when I’ve squashed a bug, caught a ball just before it would have rolled under the sofa, or managed to reach a roll of toilet paper on the top shelf at the store. It’s a silly, slangy word. As such, it’s the last word I’d think to use if someone asked me to describe my feelings on the day, in a tiny orphanage off a dirt road outside of Da Nang, when I saw my child for the first time.”
Did you adopt a toddler? If so, is your toddler actively rejecting one of you as its parents? Adoptive Families has the reason why here.
An incredible story of overcoming adversity, from a woman who was raised in foster care, left, attended high school while living in the subways of New York City, and is now the founder of an advocacy group fighting for the rights of homeless youth. What an inspiration.