God has perfect timing; never early, never late. It takes a little patience and a whole lot of Faith. National Adoption Day! Mom and I shortly after being adopted
Adoption Paper
I have always known that I was adopted. With today being National Adoption Day, I figured I could share a little bit of my story.
I lived 6 months in an orphanage before my parents adopted me. I didn't find out who my birth mom until I was 18, when my birth grandmother hired a lawyer to find me. I have a very interesting story and it goes a little like this...
“This child may be retarded.” was written in red across my adoption papers. That didn't detour my parents. They adopted me anyway. My life was forever changed on my adoption day and for that I am grateful. I grew up a chubby, outgoing little girl. I was that little girl that kept my parents on the run. (I am told that I never sat still.) I graduated high school with high honors and my story still continues. You see, I am thankful for my birth parents, and my birth family that they had an option of adoption.
Growing up, I adopted my parents' matter of fact approach to the subject, and being adopted hardly seemed worth mentioning. They were steadfast every day in their attitude of love for each of us. I often had questions like:
"What, your real mom didn't want you?"
"How old where you when you were adopted?"
"Do you know your real family?"
"Is it hard knowing you were adopted?"
These questions never bother me because I knew that God had a plan for me. Sometimes as an adult, I get questions. The hardest questions come from health professionals because I don't really know all of my family history.
I am lucky to know some of my birth mom's family. In fact, I have twice as many aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas and cousins.
WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT MY ADOPTION.
1. My parents are SPECIAL. What I mean is that it takes two people who are willing to stand up to challenges. It takes people that have time to help. It takes two people that have a desire to help a child out, even when they are not born to them. My parents taught me that LOVE is all you need to make a child move on to a have a success life. They taught me unconditional love.
2. I helped fill an emotional VOID for my parents. My parents were not able to have kids but they both knew that they needed and wanted kids. With life moving fast and our impassive lifestyle we are often incurred with emotional voids in our lives. I helped fill an emotional void for my parents and I am thankful for that every day.
3. I am no different them anyone else. Being adopted is nothing to be ashamed about. I am GRATEFUL for the way that my life has turned out thus far.
4. It’s not necessary to be a biological parent to be a TRUE parent. I believe that true parents are not always the ones who give birth, but those who dedicate the best years of their life to bring up a wonderful child. My parents went through many ups and downs together with all of us kids. They always supported all of us. You see there are 6 adopted kids in my family, mom and dad were true parents.
5. I cannot imagine what life would have been like if my parents hadn't raised me on the farm. I am an animal lover. I love horses. My mom and I would spend hours and hour’s horseback, and hours and hours taking care of all the farm animals and I loved every minute. I know that God knew where he wanted me to grow up. I am THANKFUL for that.
6. I have a real mom and a birth mom. By saying that, I am not saying that my birth mom is any less of a mom. They both have different roles; they are both special to me. My birth mom gave me life. And my real mom dealt with my tears, with my boyfriend breakups, and she would dust me off when I got bucked off my horse. She listened when I poured my heart out when I fell in love, she loved me beyond my biology. Real is not defined by our DNA, it is defined by love and care.
7. Please ask if you have questions about being adopted. I would be glad to share my story with anyone, just ask.
8. I have never questioned why my birth mom’s choice to put me up for adoption. I am thankful for that decision. Adoption is where my family came from, where my love and my life truly began. I am THANKFUL that my birth mom had adoption as an option.
9. I am a REAL person with a REAL family, and there is so much more to me than having been adopted. Parents, love your child and meet his or her needs, adoption-related or not, because that is what parents do.
At the time, I was too little to understand but today I total understand this paper. All I can say is "Thank You."
10. I am the LUCKY one. I try not to think of what life might have been, how my life could have been different had my real parents not signed my adoption papers. I just thank God daily that I was placed in my dad's arms and brought home to the farm.
“Children are never really ours, they are just entrusted to us for a time by God.”
