Recently, an Act of Love adoptive mom thanked me for arranging a meeting with the adoptive family of the two half sisters to her adopted daughter. She had come to me and expressed her family’s desire for their daughter to be able to build a relationship with her birth sisters. In talking with her, she shared that she wasn’t sure what relationship may be formed, but she knew that it would be important for her daughter to have the opportunity to have some level of contact with her birth sisters and maybe meet them. She understood if it might not be possible and knew the other adoptive family would need to agree to a meeting or contact.
To her surprise, the other adoptive family responded immediately and was available to meet with them the next night. Her joy was obvious, as well as, the bit of apprehension that could be heard in her voice. I am sure many thoughts and feelings were beginning to surface. What will they be like? Will they like us? Will the girls like us? Will they want to stay-in-touch or just a one-time meeting? How will we be alike and how will be different? All normal, legitimate feelings to be experiencing. Adoption classes and training prepare you a great deal for being an adoptive family, but there are those things that each person will experience on a different level and at a different time in their life.
The Act of Love coordinator was able to provide the conference room for the families to meet and she shared her amazement and true pleasure in having been part of the visit. She expressed that the girls had a wonderful time and the adults were able to share and bond in their love for their girls. They exchanged addresses to be able to stay in-touch and all were so grateful for the beautiful opportunity that their girls had to know each other and begin a relationship.
This delightful adoptive mom wrote the most beautiful words in her thank you…“The magic of adoption and power of family ties were at play.” The adoptive dad of the two half sisters shared that he was so amazed and could not stop thinking about the visit.
Adoption is an amazing journey that is different for each birth parent and adoptive family. The emotions that are felt as individuals go through the adoption process will be different for each person and different at each step in their process. You will have some of your most joyous moments and moments of total despair and sadness. The emotion and feeling that will be the same for all is the joy and happiness for the children.
The children are so loved and cherished by all and the “magic” in adoption and the “power of family ties” will forever be important in lives of these two families and for many other families that choose adoption as a way to build their family.