Children say the darndest things, don't they? Nick is only twenty months and he makes up some pretty funny things. The Munchkin, of course, is no exception. She's been known to leave adults crying tears of joy and laughter as she discusses the complexities of life through her own eyes. Of course, she also knows that she is funny so she keeps it up, laughing along with whomever she has tickled.

One of these funny things just so happened to be about adoption, pregnancy and age appropriate discussions on the... more

We're leaving early on Sunday morning for a week at the beach! I couldn't be more excited if I tried. Okay, I lied. I would be more excited if my daughter and her family were vacationing with us but, alas, that's not what is happening this time. While I've previously suggested taking a vacation together, we're heading to North Carolina with my own Mom and Dad, brother and his girlfriend, and, really, that's a lot of people in one house!

I have no doubt I'll... more

In reference to yesterday's post, I promised to bring you some snip-its of how others were affected by the subject and the wording of the quote itself. I made a post on my personal adoption blog that included the quote and prompted readers, no matter their triad title, to tell me how it made them feel and if they had been faced with a conversation of similar substance. People got talking. And I got to listening.

It didn't surprise me that birth... more

I wish she'd been smart enough, or loving enough, to realize everybody has burdens that crush them, only they don't give up their children.

While reading The Secret Life of Bees, this sentence made me put down the book, get a drink of water and retreat to the backyard which is my quiet place for thinking and self-reflection. It hit me, hard, the words of a daughter who had been left behind by her mother. I have always said and believe it to the core of my being that we, as birth and adoptive... more

Thank You for Not Forgetting Us made me cry. This article which was published in originally in Adoption Week E-magazine is a heartfelt article by an adoptee name J.R.

Thank you to all the beautiful women who, out of love and grief and confusion, seek a better life for their offspring. Thank you for not forgetting us, the children you gave up. It makes a difference.

J.R.... more

Many adopted children or adults do not equate their being relinquished to any flaws in them.

Sadly, however, some adoptees do believe that there must have been something wrong with them for their birth parents to have relinquished them. I have a few adoptees express this thought.

Feelings are not always based on facts. We have little control over what we feel. However, feeling abandoned and flawed is not uncommon with adoptees. When birth parents go on to parent other children, an adoptee might be even more inclined to believe the worst.... more

My husband mentioned the other day what a unique adoption story Nicole Richie has and suggested it as a blog topic. We saw an interview with Lionel Ritchie on television some time ago, and he discussed his daughter’s adoption.

My dear husband was blown away at the whole story about why Nicole came to be adopted by the Richies. I was astounded that Lionel Ritchie would share a story that would cast him in such a negative light. Maybe he did not realize how bad it would sound. Another possibility is that he did not care, and/or was just being honest. Nevertheless, it... more

Deb referenced this article recently and upon reading it, I found all sorts of gems of wisdom within it. The author, Marcy Wineman Axness, is an adoptee who lives in California. She has a PhD in early human development and writes and lectures nationwide on adoption and pre and perinatal issues.

"Adoptive parents are really trying to do the right thing, and it feels like avoiding pain is the right thing, but it truly is not,"... more

Adult Adoptee Health Survey

Are you a female adoptee at least 40 years of age? If so, you're invited to participate in an important research study about how adopted persons take care of their health.

A perfect opportunity for adoptees to speak out is through this survey. It is being conducted by an adult adoptee working on her doctoral degree in the College of Public Health at The University of Georgia.

The unspoken "proper" behavior for... more

Heard the expression, seeing red? Sometimes that is my reaction when I hear complaints about adoptees who are negative or angry. Some adoptive parents get all squirmy and uncomfortable when adoptees say anything negative about adoption. They may consider it a person affront.

Adoptees are not supposed to ever be unhappy, have issues or acknowledge that adoption is on their minds too often. Some adoptive parents just do not want to hear anything but "happy" talk from adoptees.

Even when adoptees say they that they have had issues, but resolved them, that... more