Ongoing Support

My closest friend at work was an incredible source of strength to me throughout the adoption process. She is someone whom I can always turn to for support, and she gets just as excited as I do when I receive a potential birth mother call. I couldn’t have not told her first!
—Kenna

As the Saying Goes

I hosted a dinner for my 10 closest girlfriends. As everyone arrived, I gave each a piece of red thread. They thought it was odd, but then one spotted a printout of the saying: “An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet” hanging on my refrigerator. Soon after, I announced our plan to adopt a daughter from China. The rest of the evening was full of jubilant congratulations—and thousands of questions.
—Catherine Rice

Like Family

One day at work, I walked over to my friend’s office. After discussing some work-related matters, I nonchalantly told Jackie that I planned on adopting a five-year-old, then anxiously waited for her response. She was absolutely ecstatic. She wrote me a wonderful reference and has since become my daughter’s beloved “aunt.”
—Robin

Couldn’t Wait to Share

After not sharing our infertility struggles, we were very excited to tell family and friends that we were starting our family through open adoption. We sent an e-mail to all of them to shout out our great news, and, almost immediately, we began receiving excited, supportive responses. Those who are already parents have opened their closets to us, getting us started with baby items that their kids have outgrown.
—Lisa & Tim

With Two Memorable Gifts

Each time we adopted, my aunts have been the first ones to know. The first time, we gave them a present at a family reunion. They unwrapped it to find an old shoe—for all the times they put their feet in their mouths giving us grief about having only two children. The second time, we decorated sugar cookies with the words “It’s a Girl” written in icing and delivered them to their houses. It was a fun way to celebrate.
—Catherine Yoder