5 Adoption Quotes That Actually Capture the Realities of Open Adoption

“A child born to another woman calls me mom. The depth of the tragedy and the magnitude of the privilege are not lost on me.” This quote by Jody Landers has been circling the internet for a while and I consider it an “oldie but goodie.” I’d also like to expand on this that sometimes the word “privilege” can have connotations of entitlement. As adoptive parents, we certainly do not feel entitled to the baby, but rather honored to be placed in that sacred role.

“He is mine in a way he will never be hers, yet he is hers in a way he will never be mine. Together we are motherhood.” This quote by Desha Wood speaks to the importance of both adoptive and birth mothers in the child’s life. As an adoptive mom, I greatly value my son’s birth mother for choosing life for him, giving birth, and choosing adoption. I didn’t do those things for him. I do things for him she couldn’t as well, like provide daily care, love and support. I’m his parent, but we’re both mothers.

“How can I possibly love my child- but not those who gave her life?” This quote from the Attempting Agape blog speaks to the appreciation of the birth family, much like the quote above. If you love your child, you won’t cut the birth family out of the picture just because you are jealous. There shouldn’t be jealousy.

“Adoption is not a breaking of trust but a keeping of faith…not the abandonment of a baby but an abandonment of self for a baby’s sake.” This quote by Curtis Young shows how much faith and trust a birth mother puts in the adoptive family she chooses. She also knows placing the child for adoption will be hard for her, but places that aside for the baby’s well-being.