Okay, so when I said I was blogging about twenty-five things I am thankful for before Thanksgiving, I never said they would be posted everyday! My weekend was hectic (as always!) and I will catch up…I’m on a mission :)
#20 Adoption
November is National Adoption Awareness Month, a month that I try promote truths about adoption and to make others more aware of all things adoption. I am not an expert on Adoption, in fact the farther away we get from our adoption finalization the more I don’t think about it as much and don’t keep up with the day to day adoption news.
Adoption means a lot of different things to different people. There are kinship adoptions, where a relative adopts a child from within an extended family. International adoptions, Private domestic adoptions with agencies or lawyers and foster care adoptions. Under those categories are sub-categories such as: Older child adoption, special needs adoption, sibling set adoptions, infant adoption, etc.
I could go on and on about the technicalities of adoption, but my topic is about me being thankful for adoption. I will give you a few links at the end of my post to read up about adoption ins and outs.
I am thankful that adoption is possible. I am thankful that international adoptions are possible in the US. Many countries do not allow for international adoptions or severely limit them. The United States still has her arms open for the children of the world.
I am thankful for the good, honest and ethical adoption agencies that are working for the good of all parties involved in adoption.
I am thankful that adoption reform is a hot-topic and that people are talking about how to make adoption better for all.
I am thankful that trans-racial adoption is possible.
I am thankful that we embarked in this journey in 2008 and not 1980, when adoptions were closed for the most part and the children and birth parents were left in the dark the majority of the time. Involving Mita and Enu’s Ethiopian family has been such a blessing. While we cannot easily visit or correspond, we do have notes and pictures and were able to meet family members. This is such an amazing gift to be able to share with the girls as they grow and have more questions. Birth families are not something to ignore or pretend they never existed, they are the child’s beginning story.
Adoption is not perfect. People are not perfect. I am not perfect. My girls are not perfect. I am thankfull for all of our imperfections. I am thankful for my family.
Links For More Info:
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Photo by Mandy W. (Enu’s art!)
I’m thankful to know such wonderful, loving and open minded people like you and your hubby! You both are incredibly inspiring and have made a wonderful difference in this world.
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