My family's adoption story

I have posted on a friend's adoption story.  Now it is time to tell my family's story of adoption.

I feel very fortunate to have been born in the month of November.  As many people know, November is the National Adoption Month. 

When I was nine years old, almost ten, my aunt and uncle (my mom’s sister) received a precious 5 day old baby girl.  This baby girl was born in the month of October.  They used the Edna Gladney Center for Adoption to receive this precious bundle of joy.  After the baby was six months old, the adoption was finalized in the courts in Fort Worth.

Once we were done in the court, we were able to go on a tour of the Center.  The only thing I can remember of that tour is the lovely little room where my aunt and uncle got to see my cousin for the first time.  The room had a lovely shade of blue.  This would place in my heart the desire to one day adopt a child who needed a family.  It also placed in my heart that should I ever had gotten pregnant as a teenager that I would place my baby up for adoption.

Just days after my thirteenth birthday, my aunt and uncle received another precious bundle of joy from the Center.  This time around resulted in a baby boy, and he was born at the beginning of December.  Even though it had only been a couple of years since my aunt and uncle had adopted their first child, there was some conflicting schedules, and I was unable to go to the hearing that finalized his adoption.

He is also considered my birthday present as his birthday is only a few days behind mine.  It seems to be a family thing.  I was born on my paternal grandmother’s birthday and the day before my birthday is another set of people’s birthdays (namely one of my cousins and an uncle).

I have always loved and considered my adopted cousins part of the family even though they are not blood related.  They are just my cousins.  I feel blessed that my birthday lands between their two birthdays even if they are younger than me.  They are also fortunate that their adoptions are at least semi open in that they are allowed to receive gifts and letters from their birth moms through the Gladney Center.  My aunt has even sent letters through the Gladney Center to update their birth moms on what they are doing.

The song, “Everything to me” by Mark Schultz, really brought tears to my eyes even though I have never had to go through the pain that these girls have gone through.  I know that there are birth parents out there that did not have problems giving up their children, but I feel that most birth parents go through the pain that was described in the music video.  I hope that should I ever be placed in a position to help a birth mom who is scared about making the right choice for her child, that I will able to tell her my story and share the song.

I take the James 1:27 verse very seriously.  I was taught to help where I can, and any way that was feasible and good.  I have a heart for the orphans.  I wish that I had enough money and space to give these children the home that they deserve, and the love and acceptance that God wants us to have for everyone.  The Bible states that we are to “fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8).  Helping others is a perfect way to put this into action.