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Hi, I am new here, this is my first time posting, and I am not really sure where to post this under. I did try writing this one other time but something didn't work and it disappeared into cyberspace. So this will maybe be a little more abbreviated because I don't feel like re-writing it all.
My husband & I have been planning to adopt for 1 1/2 years. Last month we actually finally applied for domestic infant open adoption and started telling people. Up till then pretty much only immediate family knew.
I made an announcement on Facebook that we are starting the adoption process. I then immediately texted my one friend and said "check FB we just made a big announcement". She didn't reply. I thought she'd be excited for us. I then checked FB and saw she'd written "awesome!" I still felt something was off so I texted her the next day and asked her if she'd seen the announcement. She texted back "yes, awesome!" I really felt something was off. She had no questions at all or anything.
Well I ignored my feelings and went on with life excited about adopting. To my family and husband's family I showed all our papers that we'd gotten from the agency and everyone had questions and were curious and excited for us.
Eventually my friend and I got together like we regularly do. Generally when we get together she does the majority of the sharing and talking. She is not a very good conversationalist so usually after a while I quit trying to say anything and just listen. Well this time I was so excited about adopting that when she came I immediately started talking about it. I grabbed the papers to show her that everyone else had been so interested in. I think it was pretty obvious I was thrilled about telling her!
But first, I said to her, "did you hear from someone else that we're adopting before you saw it on FB?" because I thought maybe that would account for her uncharacteristic lack of enthusiasm. But she said no. I then made the mistake of asking, "but you were happy when you heard it?" Ah. I knew I had a feeling that something was off for a reason.
She said "no to be honest I wasn't happy". I am completely baffled here as to why not. She is single and has no children. She said "you were my last friend without any children". Now that I have had time to think about that - EXCUSE ME?? You want to try and GUILT me into putting off my dreams and plans of building a family - which we have been painfully working towards for years - just because you have not reached that point in your life yet? I didn't say that though.
She also said she wants to adopt. Um, okay........why can't we BOTH? I didn't say that either. Instead I gave her some info on how she can adopt, even though she's single. I think it went in one ear and out the other. It was like she just wanted to feel sorry for herself.
She had gone to an orphanage in Haiti last year and met lots of babies she fell in love with. The day we made our announcement, one of the babies she had taken care of had come to this country to be adopted. She found the two things on one day very difficult. I understand that could be difficult. I tried to relate it to me hearing pregnancy/birth announcements while we were ttc, so I could be more sympathetic. But I was still hurt and angry that she would choose to talk about all these things when I hadn't barely had a chance yet to start talking about us finally adopting.
We spent the afternoon with her crying on and off about being single and about my husband & I adopting. She claimed she was happy for us. She'd say "okay enough about me, you were all excited, now show me your papers". But everything I said, everything I showed her, she related back to herself. I showed her the questions we have to answer on our questionnaire. She read them to herself and cried about how she wouldn't have good answers. They are not even the same questions she'd have to answer if she adopted from Haiti since we are adopting domestically. Simply put, it started to get annoying.
After she left, my enthusiasm was very dampered. I was a bit in shock for a while as we'd only had positive responses until then and she was the LAST person I'd expect a negative one from. Since then, she has acted like nothing's wrong. I have not been being mean or ignoring her completely, but I haven't made any effort to contact her. I reply briefly when she texts me.
Basically I am trying to decide what to do. Should I talk to her about how I feel? I am quite confident she has no idea that I was hurt. I don't know if there would be any benefit to either of us in talking with her. What do you think - am I overreacting? Are negative responses common when adopting? How do you handle them? Thanks for sharing.
I guess it was a long post after all!
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I think that she's so focused on herself and her issues that she doesn't have the emotional ability right now to support you in what you're doing. Just focus on this happy time in your life and maybe she'll adjust eventually. I'm adopting and some of my friends are having a problem with it because they think it will change the nature of our relationship and adopting isn't something they'd do.
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I think that not everyone can understand the concept of adoption, and I guess that is ok, they don't really need to. I had a friend that I counted on to be my go to girl, and she had been for about 18 years, but when the adoption plan came out, she was not nice. While I was pregnant she made me feel crappy about the plan, she wanted me to keep littleman, she told me to "make" his father care, etc and it hasn't gotten much better since his birth, she didn't come see me after he was born, because she said it would be to hard for her, doesn't seem to like his family, doesn't like the name they gave him, has asked me several times why I go see him and says "doesn't seeing him hurt you?", and when I said I was thinking about getting a tattoo of three baby feet, because I have three children, she said "why do you want baby feet on you". I guess the point of my long drawn out rambling is that you have to do what is right for and will make you happy. You can talk to her all day long, but you can't "Make" her be happy for you and to be totally honest, she sounds a little bit toxic and may be one of those people that has to have everything be about her. The only thing you can control about the situation is how you act. I haven't seen, talked to or texted my "go to girl" in close to two months, because I have to do what I have to do to get through the adoption experience and I don't need someone around who's only purpose seems to be to make me feel even more crappy than I already feel about myself. So now, when I need my go to girl, I go to someone else, and even though it kills me to lose a friend that I have had forever, sometimes you have to go a different direction from other people. Good luck and I hope you find people that will be so thrilled for you and your family. :-)
I'm sorry your friend wasn't able to be more supportive. Like the pps said, focus on your happiness and excitement and surround yourself with people who can be happy for you.
I will say, though, that having kids WILL change you, and it WILL impact your relationship with your friends who don't have kids. It doesn't have to be negatively, but it won't be the same. And some friends have a hard time with that. When someone gets something we want, it can hold up a mirror to our own life. I remember when a good friend of mine got married. Up until that point, I had sort of had some peace with not being married because this friend wasn't either...so when he was getting married, it made me feel a little sorry for myself. You mentioned how hard it could be hearing about pregnancies/birth announcements. The best friends put your happiness first. Some other friends, however, can't see you and your happiness due to being so focused on their own stuff. Sounds like she is the latter.
I guess you have to figure out how important this friendship is to you. If it's important, then I think you have to talk to her and tell her how you feel. If she hears you and supports you, great. If she can't keep from making it about her, then you have to decide if that is what you want in your life. Good luck to you.
It just sounds to me like you wanted enthusiasm and she wanted sympathy at the same time. As you said, your announcement hit her at a hard time, right after hearing about one of the kids she knew in Haiti. It's hard being single and wanting a family... it seems like she needs some time to process that for herself. Give her some time.
hopingandpraying
It just sounds to me like you wanted enthusiasm and she wanted sympathy at the same time. As you said, your announcement hit her at a hard time, right after hearing about one of the kids she knew in Haiti. It's hard being single and wanting a family... it seems like she needs some time to process that for herself. Give her some time.
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Suzeb1
It might be helpful if you imagine her thinking "I tried really hard to not show how empty I feel when I think that everyone around me has children, and husbands, and I don't. I said it was awesome, and it is, but it hurts. I wasn't going to say anything, but when she flat out asked me if *I* was happy about the news, I told the truth, and then I couldn't stop talking. I don't think I will ever get to be a mom, and if I do, I'll be alone. I'm sad and scared...and as happy as I am for her, I'm so very sad for me."
I agree with suzeb1, too. I've certainly been in your friend's shoes, many times. It's so hard being single and childless when what you want is to fall in love, get married and have children just like everyone else seems to do with no problem. It really can hurt to hear others good news even as you're truly happy for them.It sounds like she tried to hide her hurt, not make it about her, and just said "awesome". I'm glad you encouraged her to express her feelings. I know for me, just hearing someone say something like "It'll happen for you, too" helped. Sometimes just being heard and acknowledged goes a long way.As previous posters have said, you deserve to be around others who are happy for you. I hope now that she had an opportunity to be heard she can show support and be there to share in your joy.
I would just give it some time, she will probably come around. As lots of people on here know, it can difficult to hear about other people's families when you haven't got one yourself.I remember when I was first trying to adopt. We were waiting to be matched and one of my friends got matched; we went shopping for stuff for her new baby and I burst into tears in the middle of a store, selfishly I wanted to be the one buying all those things. To be honest, until I brought home my own child our relationship was slightly strained, but now we both have families we are closer than ever.
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Thanks everybody.
I forgot to mention I had also tentatively broached the subject of her writing a referral letter about me for the adoption agency, to wish she replied that that might be too hard.
I just finished writing her a long email. All your comments really helped. I feel I was able to be kind even as I shared how I felt, because y'all really helped me see it from her perspective, while still being understanding of me.
Thanks again!
I'd also keep in mind that from how I read it, she did not push, force or even offer her feelings to you on your announcement. She kept quiet and kept her issues to herself, until you really forced her hand and insisted she answer you directly. It sounded to me like she tried to decline saying it at all, until it was clear you weren't going to be satisfied with a respectful silence and demanded an accounting of her feelings. So she was honest. I don't see getting mad at her for her feelings that you insisted she detail to you, they are hers from her life and experience, just as your feelings are from yours. Do you want to send her the message that her feelings are only acceptable when they are the same as yours?
Hi All,
Everything went well. She replied to my email and was both very apologetic for hurting me and also very grateful that I was able to understand where she was coming from.
And I am thankful to you (particularly hopingandpraying and Suzeb1) for helping me see her perspective. Thanks to those of you who were understanding of me, too.
I think this whole thing will bring my friend and I closer together!
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DreamBig
Hi All, Everything went well. She replied to my email and was both very apologetic for hurting me and also very grateful that I was able to understand where she was coming from. And I am thankful to you (particularly hopingandpraying and Suzeb1) for helping me see her perspective. Thanks to those of you who were understanding of me, too. I think this whole thing will bring my friend and I closer together!