In this personal essay, one adoptee describes all the questions she wanted to ask her birth mother when she visited her birth country: a jail.
“Two Days to Adoption”
We’d had seven days notice for our first adoption. For our second, four. Now, two. It was as if we’d been training for this moment, and we were at peak performance.
“An Expectant-Adoptive Mom”
While I was waiting to be matched, I tried to step out of the shoes of “adoptive mom” and into the shoes of “birth mom.”
“Face of the Future”
From the moment her image first appeared on my computer screen, I was her mother.
“Waiting for Joseph”
During the process to adopt from the foster system, we faced a series of delays. But, at the end, we found a love that was worth the wait.
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“Adopting Teenagers From Foster Care”
“My boys were teens when I adopted them, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t need a mom. Even if I was only 25 at the time.”
“Adopting Infants Through Foster Care”
“Adopting through foster care felt like a roller-coaster ride, but we knew that we were on the right path.”
“Loving My Mother — and Becoming One”
I was an adoring daughter, ready to be an adoring mom.
“Thanking My Adoption Support Network”
One mother says the thank you’s we sometimes forget to say.
“Journey Into Our Son’s Culture”
Visiting our son in the orphanage where he lived revealed the humbling truth that he’ll leave behind a lovely way of life.
“Where Will We Fit In?”
Selling my parents’ house makes me wonder where to put down roots for our family of two.
“An Evolving Relationship”
After a difficult visit with my birth son, I realized the commitment to him was strong enough to weather life’s ups and downs.
“Goodbye to Grandpa”
My daughter’s struggle to make sense of this loss is shadowed by her earliest one.
“Doing Téa’s Hair”
I’d never thought much about hair care. But as the white mother of a black daughter, I learned to braid, twist, clip — and take every opportunity to instill my little girl with pride.
“I Have Two Countries”
Emilio returned to Bolivia to meet his new sister — and gained a renewed connection to his birth country.
“Fostering Love”
With fost-adopt, I didn’t need to own a home or have $50,000 in the bank to become a parent.
“Heart’s Desire”
My daughter—like my own mother—feels an almost primal pull toward the woman whose body she grew in.
“Losing Sleep”
As my daughter discovers the brave new world of sleepovers, she and I are both missing out on some shut-eye.
“The Same, But Different”
When an adopted child gets most of your attention, it doesn’t mean you love your other child less.