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May 2010

What's New

We are proud to announce that this past month was a milestone for Abby’s as we celebrated our 600th adoption. We mention this not as a gauge of our success, but as a measure of the experience we have gained over the past 7 years. If you know of any family, friends, or acquaintances looking for an experienced adoption agency, we encourage you to pass our information on to them.  You can be the first steps to helping another family grow through adoption.

May 8 is National Birth Mother's Day! 

As we enter into the month of May, we can finally celebrate the return of Spring as vibrant signs of life begin to emerge around us. We welcome blooming flowers and trees, the sunshine and a chance to shed our winter layers. Although May 9 marks the celebration of Mother's Day, May 8 is National Birth Mother's Day - a special chance to celebrate the many special women who give others the chance to become parents. Established by a group of birth mothers in Seattle in the 1990s, this is a wonderful tradition that has spread throughout the country - celebrating the bravery and offering support to birth mothers nationwide.  Mother's Weekend is an opportunity to celebrate the joy of motherhood, and the women around the world who make that possible for others. 
 
picNo matter what type of adoption you are in - open, semi-open or closed - the result is still the same. A birth mother placed her child into your loving arms, and entrusted you to parent and love that child forever.  Regardless of placement situations, without the selfless, courageous decisions of birth mothers around the world, many of us would not be mothers or future mothers.  Mother's Day can be a difficult day for birth mothers, reminding them that they won't be celebrating with their children and that their decision to give another family their child might go unnoticed.

In light of that, while celebrating your own motherhood on May 9, take a moment that weekend to show your birth mother that you remember her, appreciate her, and thank her for the gift she has given you. 

There are many ways that this can be done:
--If you know your birth mother's address, send her a nice bouquet of flowers

--Every woman likes to be pampered! A little at-home spa gift, or something to pamper herself with - bubble bath, lotions, bath salts, a pedicure kit - will remind her that she is a special woman who deserves to treat herself. 

--Even something as simple as a hand-written card to let your birth mother know that you are thinking of her and are grateful for the gift she has given you. 

--You can do anything that honors her for the choice she made - every little gesture counts, and will remind her of how much you appreciate her.

picThere are many great ideas on websites or blogs that can help you customize a special gift is for these very special women.  One of my favorites is www.birthmombuds.com. It has some wonderful information for adoptive parents, in addition to being a safe forum for birth mothers to connect with other birth mothers and find additional support. They offer so much and have done an amazing job beginning this online support group and buddy system. I encourage you to take a look. 

I'd share with you a poem called "Legacy of an Adopted Child" - special for all parts of the adoption triad: birth mother, adoptive mother and child. Each of our birth parents is given this poem and on either side of the poem there is a space for the baby's footprints -  something to take home and cherish forever. 

Legacy of An Adopted Child
by a birth mother to her child

Once there were two women, Who barely knew each other.

One is in your heart forever, The other you’ll call mother.

Two different lives, Shaped to make yours one.

One became your guiding star, The other became your sun.

The first gave you life, And the second taught you how to live it.

The first gave you a need for love, And the second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality, The other gave you a name.

One gave you the seed of talent, The other gave you an aim.

One gave you emotions, The other calmed your fears.

One saw your first sweet smile, The other dried your tears.

One gave you a family, It was what God intended for her to do.

The other prayed for a child, And God led her straight to you.

And now you ask me through your tears, The age old question through the years.

Heredity or environment… Which are you a product of?

Neither, my darling… neither, Just two different kinds of love.
 

I'm looking forward to my own Mother's Day, but I know it wouldn't be possible without my special birth mothers. Which is why I'm looking forward to honoring them, as well. From one adoptive parent to another, I hope you all have a very special Mother's Day - and don't forget to honor your birth mothers!

Warmly,
Patricia Gerlitz

Do you have a question for Abby or suggestion for a feature article?  Please let us know at abby@onetruegift.com.  Any comments or feedback is always appreciated.

 

About Our Agency

Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions is a full service, licensed adoption agency founded by adoptive parents. After our personal adoption experiences, we wanted to utilize what we had learned by creating an agency that strives to provide the most positive adoption process possible.

Our staff is available to provide maximum support from beginning to end, as we work with adoptive families and birth parents nationwide.  Having been through the process ourselves, our goal is to meet the needs of birth parents and adoptive parents alike, supporting the individuals involved from all aspects of the adoption process.
 
Just a few of our many benefits:

O There are no up-front application or qualifying fees for the adoption process.
O We offer multiple service plans in order to meet your adoption budget. 
O In the event that an adoption is disrupted, we offer a substantial refund of agency fees. 
O You choose whether you want an open, semi-open, or closed adoption.

If you are interested in the adoption process we encourage you to contact us for more information.

May Birthdays

Happy birthday to all our May True Gifts!!!

1st Reed 3 yrs
1st Rhinana 1 yrs
2nd Reginald Kyle 3 yrs
3rd Callie Rose 2 yrs
3rd Collin 1 yrs
4th Zoie 2 yrs
6th Aliyah Laverne 1 yrs
6th Kristina 1 yrs
9th Hayden 2 yrs
10th Marcus 2 yrs
11th Hallo 7 yrs
11th Zoe Grace 4 yrs
12th Tristan 1 yrs
13th Carsten 5 yrs
14th Noah 2 yrs
15th Zoey 2 yrs
16th Zackary Nicholas 1 yrs
16th Hope Marie 1 yrs
19th Olivia 4 yrs
19th Isaiah 4 yrs
20th Lucas 3 yrs
21st Xavier 4 yrs
23rd Gabriel Mia 4 yrs
23rd Rebecca Lucille 2 yrs
25th Sydney 6 yrs
26th Marrion 4 yrs
26th Jamison Michael 1 yrs
27th Ashlyn 4 yrs
27th Jamaal 3 yrs
29th Morgan 1 yrs
30th Isabelle 2 yrs

Book Corner

A collection of great readings related to adoption.

Dear Birthmother : Thank You for Our Baby
by Kathleen Silber and Phylis Speedlin

I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World by Marguerite Wright

Real Parents, Real Children; Parenting the Adopted Child by Holly Van Gulden and Lisa M. Bartels-Rabb

The Complete Adoption Book by Laura Beauvais-Godwin

Adoption Nation: How the Adoption Revolution Is Transforming America by Adam Pertman

Birthmothers: Women Who Have Relinquished Babies for Adoption Tell Their Stories by Merry Jones

Making Room in Our Hearts: Keeping Family Ties Through Open Adoption by Micky Duxbury

Born in Our Hearts: Stories of Adoption by Filis Casey and Marisa Catalina Casey

When Adoptions Go Wrong: Psychological And Legal Issues of Adoption Disruption by Lita Schwartz

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