National Adoption Month

If you have not already heard, November is National Adoption Month.  I've shared similar thoughts and the video below on another blog several years ago, but now that I'm in a different place in my life, I find myself thinking about it all again.

I encourage anyone who reads this, if you know of someone who is pregnant and unsure...please, please, PLEASE encourage them to look into adoption.  Even if they don't go through with it and decide to parent the child themselves, they can get counseling to help them walk through their decision and they will not be alone.

You see, I would not be the person I am today if not for adoption.  My pregnant (with our second adopted child), emotional self can hardly stand to think of where I might be if that miracle had not come into my life almost three years ago.  It's not that I was headed down a bad path or anything; I just can't even fathom how -- emotionally -- I would have been able to keep on going.  If we had not chosen adoption, it would have meant giving up on my dreams of being a mom.  It would mean that I would not know the feel of sweet little boy hugs and kisses and I would not know the sound of his voice.  I would not know of his scents and I would not know the things he fears or the things he loves.  I would not know him and I would not have the memories of the first moments we became a forever family; the thoughts I had and the feelings I felt the instant he was placed in my arms.  Where there once had been a huge, aching hole, my heart was immediately full and overflowing.  The thought of missing out on those moments makes my heart shatter into millions of pieces.  

Thankfully, God knew.  While my husband had been ready for years (and never told me, but waited for me to come to the decision on my own), God changed my heart and prompted me to pursue this new road in our lives.  He knew just what we needed and created this little boy to be ours; to fit perfectly into our family.  I know that it was Him who guided my boy's birthmom through all of the family profiles and caused her to choose only ours to give her most precious gift.

Many people are afraid, as I once was, of birthmothers.  The things you see on TV often encourage this fear, but in reality, adoptive families are very well protected by laws if things are done correctly.  The book I referenced in our other blog changed our views about birthmothers.  They're not crazy people who make rash decisions.  They're incredible women who love their child SO much that they choose a different life for them when they know they can not provide.  I can't even fathom what it must take to have the strength to follow through with this decision and know you made the right choice...but I'm glad there are women out there who do.

** Warning: Even when I'm not pregnant, I sob when I watch this video **

(You can also view this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqqj35r8aUc)