You Know You’re An Adoptive Parent In An Open Adoption When…

1. You get a kick out of people telling you that your child looks just like you even though you know she doesn’t.

2. The woman you once feared more than anyone else in the world isn’t only your new best friend, she’s the first person you think of when your child reaches a milestone.

3. While all the other mothers get asked about the cost of their baby stroller, you get asked about the cost of your baby,

4. You discover that Jamie Lee Curtis is a darned good writer –maybe even better than she is as an actress.

5. You feel like you’ve joined this exclusive club that you never thought would have you as a member.

Continue reading →

Adoptive Parent Profile Samples: How To Begin Your Adoption Letter

I’ve shared sample adoptive parent profile letters before.

Today, now that we’re just past the midway point of National Adoption Month and many hopeful adoptive parents (and prospective birthparents) will be discovering adoptive parent profiles for the first time, I thought I dip into the topic again.

But this time, Iet’s focus on the opening of the letter since it’s the most important element of your written profile.

Even before we do that, however, let’s take a look at what an adoptive parent profile is and what it needs to do. Continue reading →

The Moment I “Got” Open Adoption

Do you remember the first time you “got” open adoption — the moment when it suddenly made sense to you, when you realized there was actually a purpose to all of your waiting, wondering and worrying?

I do. It happened just over 16 years ago.

As life-altering moments go, it wasn’t particularly special. It was actually kind of ordinary.

There were no lightning bolt or voice calling down to me from on high.

Just two women having a conversation on a couch. Continue reading →

Thinking Of Adopting? 10 Celebrity Adoption Quotes You Need To Read

By rights we shouldn’t care what celebrities have to say about adoption. We really shouldn’t.

We shouldn’t pay any more attention to what they say about the joys or the struggles of adopting than to what our friends or people we know say about them.

But we do.

Because the truth is most of our friends and people we know aren’t trying to adopt a baby or have an adoption connection.

But many celebrities do.

So when we see their stories splashed across the cover of People magazine or hear about a famous person who has been touched by adoption, our ears prick up, we lean in and pay close attention to what they have to say. Continue reading →