February 12, 2014
An Ode to Birth Mothers and Adoptive Families for Valentine’s Day
This Valentine’s Day, we want to show our love for YOU. The people who enrich our lives and inspire us every day…our work is nothing without you, and we love each and every individual we’ve had the pleasure to work with since starting Abby’s One True Gift. To celebrate, here’s a couple lists of the things we love about our birth mothers and adoptive families.
FIVE REASONS WE LOVE OUR BIRTH MOTHERS
1. Your courage. Whenever we are scared or feel in over our heads in a certain situation, we think about you and the brave decisions you’ve made and are immediately filled with the strength to continue moving forward. You show us unbelievable strength and courage every day, and we are beyond proud to be part of your journey.
2. Your selflessness. To make a decision that’s best for your child, even though it may pain you deeply, is the ultimate act of selflessness. We could all use a reminder about how to step outside ourselves and tune in to the needs of others, and you provide an excellent example of the strength and devotion that takes.
3. Support. As much as we may want to try and do things on our own sometimes, you show us the necessity of asking for help and building a support system. We are all on a team here, and you remind us to always be striving to give our selves and our love to those around us.
4. You teach us about family. There are so many definitions of family, and being a birth mother is just one of many roles that comprise different types of family members. There are innumerable lessons you teach us about what family is and who family can be, and in this day and age, these are reminders we all could use.
5. You show us one of the truest meanings of love. The love you show for your children is one of the deepest we could ever imagine, and we are continually in awe of the strength required to give the gift you do. We hope you keep that love in your heart every day.
FIVE REASONS WE LOVE OUR ADOPTIVE FAMILIES
1. You never give up. For so many of you, coming into parenthood has been fraught with challenges. From infertility issues to all the emotional ups and downs you may experience during the adoption process, we are so in awe of your perseverance, strength and commitment to creating a family.
2. You remind the world that family goes beyond bloodlines. Family is who you decide your family is. Who you bring into your home, love with all your heart, and call your family. As adoptive families, you are the face of this, and it brings us such joy.
3. Your honesty. You open up your homes, your lives, your finances, and every little detail about yourself to so many people during an adoption process. And you do this all willingly all in the name of becoming a parent. It is not an easy thing to open yourself up to strangers, and you do this to the extreme.
4. Your generosity. To be an adoptive parent is to give and give again. You give more throughout the process of one adoption than many people give in a lifetime. It does not go unnoticed.
5. You create homes. Becoming an adoptive parent can evolve in all sorts of ways, but the one constant is that you provide a child with a home when that home is most needed. There are so many children around the world who are living without families, and because of you, that number is a little bit smaller. That’s the kind of service to this world that heals the soul.
Both our adoptive families and our birth parents show us daily how much good there is in the world…thank you for our reminder, and for filling our heats with such love that every day feels a little bit like Valentine’s Day. No matter what you do this week, we hope you treat yourself and your loved ones, and that you are given every inch of the love you deserve!
