No more "guilt" for awhile after this post! I was on a roll. As I mentioned in Adoptive Parents - Feeling Guilty, I think if I were an adoptive parent, I probably would feel guilty if there were ethical or moral breaches in my adoption. Here are some of the acts that would disturb me and probably make me feel guilty:

1. If I did not thoroughly investigate the agency as far as its ethical and moral practices.

2. If I noticed something peculiar going... more

Most birth mothers experience some guilt for not raising their child. Rarely do birth mothers view relinquishing or placing their child for adoption as a reason to pat themselves on the back and believe that they have done something wonderful.

Some people always view placing a children for adoption in a noble light. However, many birth mothers feel as though they failed their child by not raising them. Placing a child for adoption is very complicated and may or may not be a noble and/or wise decision. In some cases,... more

I approach this issue with minor hesitation. It's a big topic that I'm hoping to cover with some sense of coherence. Guilt and shame are tied into adoption for so many birth parents for so many different reasons. So, let's give it a go.

First and foremost, I think it will be necessary to define both guilt and shame so we can differentiate the two as we try to cover this issue. When researching this topic, I came across a great quote that will help readers (those dealing with the topic and those not) understand the differences.... more

This year's Christmas guilt is flip-flopped. I guess I'll never win!

Last year, I spent the days before Christmas and Christmas day feeling rather upset because I didn't get Munchkin and JD's presents mailed out until too late. I felt guilty that they wouldn't have their presents on Christmas day. Not that JD would have noticed, being a month and a half old. Not that the Munchkin minded another round of opening presents. But it laid heavy on my heart.

This year? I took all the Christmas presents out when we went... more

Today's experiences brought a bunch of new facets to my adoption journey. Some of it has already been healing. Some of it has brought about a whole new area of healing that needs to be explored. I knew that this was a big step for both L and the Munchkin but I didn't realize how today's meeting would effect me on so many levels.

On a positive healing note, a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Earlier in the year, my beloved therapist encouraged and helped me to remove myself from the middle of interactions... more

When we bought our house this past February, we move out of the area of our old church. The church where we were married. The church in which our Son was baptized (on our first anniversary, no less). The church where we felt at home. Looking for a new church is no fun and basically sucks. However, we've finally settled into one. We like the Pastor, the people that we have met and the childrens' programs.

But oh, goodness, I hate going alone.

My Husband is a professional firefighter. He works 24 hours on and then has 48 hours off. Every third... more

I harbored a lot of anger towards Munchkin's firstfather, L, for a very long time. I didn't understand how he could leave us high and dry and force me to make the hardest decision of my life while completely alone. Thankfully, therapy helped me work through some of those issues.

At that point, I was able to step back from my grief, guilt and sorrow and take a look at his own. He's not a man of visible emotions. I've known that for the almost ten years we have known each other. He is outwardly strong and powerful. He is intelligent... more

Have you ever read something that physically pained you? No, I'm not talking about a graphic description of an episiotomy. I mean something that caused such an emotional reaction within your being that you physically felt pain. Your stomach turned or you felt as if your chest was imploding causing your breathing to become labored? Welcome to my life, five minutes ago.

I was reading an Opinion article on Yahoo! News. Granted, it's opinion. I shouldn't let that bother me, right? I'm a strong, independent woman with thoughts and feelings... more