“It was supposed to be a happy day, but I had so many fears about something going wrong. I think Patrick did, too. Both of us sat in the courtroom holding each other’s hands. Jen had to keep reminding us everything was going to be okay.”
‘Her oldest son Patrick asked if I would adopt him and become his other parent forever. Of course, I said yes.’: LGBT woman shares journey through blended family, step-parent adoption
‘It is worth it to give up a little bit of your life so someone else can live their life well.’: Woman shares selfless journey supporting moms in need
“They kept telling me I needed to let this mama sink or swim on her own. I knew I could never do that. I will always be there with my door open for young and afraid moms.”
‘We were watching a movie when my phone rang. My stomach dropped. We were shocked, but our hearts were open.’: Parents share rollercoaster journey to open adoption
“She was in my arms, she was real, and she was ours. For the first time, I sobbed happy tears.”
‘We went from barely knowing each other to ‘co-parenting’ a child who desperately needed stability. We consider ourselves ‘Sister Moms!’: Two foster families come together for support, advocacy
“Our friendship has allowed us to be each other’s support, to cry when things get tough, to encourage when one is feeling weary. We do our best to create memories for our kids that they can cherish forever.”
‘We will not ask our daughter to celebrate when she feels the pangs of grief, nor will we tell her to grieve when she feels like dancing.’: Adoptive mom talks giving kids choice to celebrate adoption anniversaries
“We’ll tell her the story of her adoption day for the 500th time. We’ll acknowledge how much her late birth father loved her, how much her birth mom loves her, and how much we love her. We’ll play her favorite music, probably a country playlist, and dance, because this year she chooses to celebrate.”
‘How many kids do you have?’ For years, this question was a trigger. Like lemon juice in a fresh wound, it stung.’: Birthmother shares adoption grief, making peace with others’ opinions
“Now I allow the other person an opportunity to hear a new perspective, gain a new depth of understanding, or judge me based on what little information they’ve amassed. Either way, I’m a mama to three girls, but one of them doesn’t live with me.”
‘We are at capacity, babe.’ Two months later, Mike asked if I’d gotten her info. We’d never adopted a teen before, we were terrified.’: Family of 11 shares foster care, adoption journey
“She would contact her workers monthly asking if they had found her a family yet. She was desperate for a family to love her and call her own.”
‘These two boys have entirely different stories, yet they are so fiercely meant to be bros.’: Mom reflects on adoptive son’s journey
“Some days he asks about his birth mom; other days I remind him how much she loves him. Some days he tells people he’s adopted; other days he wonders why he wasn’t born from my tummy.”
‘We landed back in Nashville, Tennessee as a family of 6. Two adoptions, two very different faith-building experiences.’: Mom shares growing family through international adoptions
“The pandemic threw a whole new spin on things and the entire adoption process felt so volatile. The worry could have buried me, so I had to face it head-on. If God called me to it, He would get me through it.”
‘He heard I was a birthmother before I ever got the chance to share. He didn’t assume or judge, he offered empathy.’: Teen birth mom shares appreciation for husband’s compassion
“He bought me a Mother’s Day card our first year together. One of those obnoxiously HUGE ones with a heartfelt message that both validated my emotions and offered hope for my future. He was the first person to truly acknowledge my motherhood after placement.”