Each year, fall brings with it a season of change – cooler temperatures, a blanket of multicolor leaves, and new school years. It also brings with it a season of thankfulness. A time to slow down a little and think about the blessings that life has brought to us. For all of these reasons, fall is my favorite time of the year. But it is also my favorite because November is the peak of fall season and the host month for National Adoption Awareness. It is a special time to reflect on the many blessings of adoption and what it means to our lives. It is a time for us as an adoption community to celebrate how we are all knit together through adoption.
Knit – to join closely and firmly, as members or parts
Social media and blogging have together forged some of the deepest friendships through a common link to adoption. It’s a huge family with generations spread across the country and even the world – many we may never have even met in person but have a deep, rich bond with. We are knit together in ways others cannot understand. We form a big, beautiful patchwork quilt with adoption as our thread. And each year during National Adoption Awareness Month, we get to blanket the rest of the world with this patchwork quilt so that they too can get a glimpse of what makes adoption so special and beautiful.
I am often asked how has adoption weaved through my soul and knit me together with others. My responses come down to three simple, yet life altering ways.
It has changed my life in ways I never knew were possible. Though the pain of infertility was numbing after a five year battle, it led me to adoption. I wouldn’t trade all the heartache, procedures, or failed pregnancy tests for anything. Why? Because I was given a greater treasure – our son. And in the moment that I watched him exist his birth mother’s womb, it all made perfect sense. This is what we were meant for, and he was meant for us. Through it all my faith increased, my relationship with my husband grew, and a passion for something greater in life was born along with our son that day. My greatest pain truly became my greatest passion. And that passion has led me to this space where I can write and share my story and love of adoption with others.
It has changed how I look at the rest of the world. No longer do I see others that are different than me as a negative. Being different can be good, special, and beautiful. Barriers are removed and judgments disappear when we are joined in relationships with others who may have different appearances, values, or beliefs than we do. Our birth mother and I could not be more different in many ways. But through those differences it has taught me how to love unconditionally – without expecting anything in return. Is it always easy? No. But anything worthwhile in life is never easy.
It has changed my friendships to be deeper and stronger. I’ve always considered myself to be blessed with great friendships. Some have crossed decades while others are being formed at this very moment. But I’ve found that some of the deepest friendships that I have are those made through my infertility and adoption journey. They get me and I get them. We’ve fought the same hard fight and rejoiced in our amazing victories. Others I walk ahead of – already at the other side of my journey – so that I can hold their hand as they now walk through theirs. Strangers have truly become some of my best friends through adoption.
Each year during National Adoption Awareness Month, I join forces with many others in the adoption community on Instagram to share how we are truly knit together by adoption in these ways and many others. We come from all walks of life and all sides of the adoption triad. It is amazing to see that beautiful patchwork quilt continue to cover more and more of the world and show how we truly are knit together by love.
This post was inspired by the #knittogetherforadoption prompts which are hosted each November by @mixed_beautifully on Instagram.
