National Adoption Month is celebrated in November. It’s a month I like to spend shedding a positive light on adoption. Usually, adoption is held under the “Hollywood spotlight” as I like to call it. As a birth mother, I tend to notice how birth mother’s are perceived—which is typically negative or unrealistic in what it takes for a woman to relinquish her child. I I try to not be too judgemental on this subject as it is a very personal roller coaster that each women experiences differently.
I like to take to the opportunity this month to improve the outlook people have on adoption. Publicly, I use social media, which is not only an easy way to reach the general population but also to reach people I already have a connection with. In my private life, I like to celebrate with my family, both by adoption and not. Sometimes I can get caught up in the loss I experienced, and November is a great time for me to remember the gain I have found from adoption. Also on a personal level, I take to writing in my journals, reading old entries and celebrating how far I have come in the past year as well as since my journey began.
Adoption.com has issued an adoption challenge on Facebook. 30 questions for 30 days to be answered by birth mothers, on her personal page. These questions include ones such as “Why I Chose Adoption” or “Favorite Memory” or “That Plus Sign” to be answered by a photo and a small description of your answer. It’s a great way to spread awareness and has been to fun to revisit some of these questions I haven’t answered to myself for a while. I have noticed friends that I haven’t spoken to for years, commenting or liking and a few even sharing what has been said. This type of awareness spreads a positive light on adoption.
The month of November also has one of the most delicious holidays celebrated—Thanksgiving. While I am spending my spare time celebrating and spreading awareness of adoption, I’m also thinking about all I’m thankful for. My family and my son’s family are two of the most precious things to me. I’m lucky enough to be able to Skype or write, whenever I need with my son and tell him how much I love him and how grateful I am for him. He also tells me how how loved I am and how he’s so grateful for me and that I chose his parents for him. It’s just a time filled with love and happiness, and that is such a great way to celebrate adoption.
Personally, I like to revisit where I have been. It’s a way for me to look at my story objectively. I have always been fond of writing; this has been the case since I was 8 years old. I like to read my old journal entries from when I was pregnant and the years after. I can remember, almost perfectly, how I was feeling when that pen hit the paper. Understanding that, and knowing how I feel now, I feel pride in where I am. There is no more important way for me to celebrate adoption than to see the impact it has had on myself, my son, and the world around us.
Each adoption situation is different, which is why it’s important for us to celebrate the differences. By making people aware that it’s not a “one size fits all” situation, but rather more like a living organism that is different when exposed to different people, that might help people realize that adoption can be “for them”. It might help take away the fear or other misconceptions that has been engraved into the public’s eye.
